To Kill An Angel
by Molly Renata
Summary: AU, sequel to Rising Shadow. After Nebilim's shadow was sealed away once more, Lloyd thought that they could all finally enjoy peace... Full summary inside. Complete.
1. Shadows of Memory and Weakness of Hearts

To Kill An Angel: A Fanfic by Gyppy

Timeline: Based 2 years after "Rising Shadow"

Summary: After Nebilim's shadow was sealed away once more, Lloyd thought that they could all finally enjoy peace. However, he could not have been more wrong...

Two old servants of Nebilim, half-elven females who had once worked for the treacherous Dark Lord, set out to stop Lloyd and his allies. Their first target: the Eternal Swordsman's father himself.

Pairings: LloydxColette and SheenaxZelos primarily, with hints at GenisxPresea, SelesxOC and minor KratosxRaine.

Author's Note: This is my sequel to _Rising Shadow_. It's gonna be quite a bit different from my usual fanfiction, though.

First of all, in case you're too lazy to go back and read _Rising Shadow_ or if you just forgot the details, Abyssion was the main character in my previous fanfic, and Nebilim (the form you fight in the game) is his arch-rival. Abyssion has a younger brother, Leviathan, who falls for Seles (hence the SelesxOC). This fanfic focuses more around Lloyd, however. Colloyd and Sheelos will be the primary pairings.

And now, for the warnings. As with most T-rated fanfics on this site, there will be swearing, violence and some references to sex. However, there's a bit of a deeper warning involved with this fic: two of the OCs which I am pairing up are female, which will add a shoujo-ai warning to the fic. There won't be any _real_ yuri in the fic, but there will be references to shoujo-ai. The rating may go up later if I decide to pull a _Lifelong Promises_ later on in the fic.

Also, as a side note, those of you who have read _Difficult Journey_ (_Rising Shadow_'s Kraine sidestory) will know that Kratos and Raine are officially a pairing in this storyline. However, there will be very few references to the pairing in the actual storyline. There may be a few Kraine moments, but I understand that there are many people who would hurt or even kill me for making Kraine references in a supposedly canon fic. I personally enjoy the pairing, and if you hate it, so be it. Don't be reading a Kraine supporter's fanfiction if you dislike the pairing. Got it?

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia, Namco, Final Fantasy or Square-Enix.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Prologue: Shadows of Memory and Weakness of Hearts

_Lloyd's P.O.V._

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

It just doesn't seem right.

The miasma was sealed away. Nebilim was sent back to the Underworld. Why the hell do the demons still continue to haunt this world?

After we defeated Nebilim, we all thought we could live peaceful lives. Abyssion returned to Flanoir with Leviathan, Kratos went back to Derris-Kharlan with the others of Cruxis, the former Desian leaders who had survived followed in Kratos' footsteps. But Nebilim still continues to haunt us, even now.

My biggest question is, why would they go after _him_?

Sure, he's one of the Four Seraphim. Sure, he carries half of the Eternal Swordsman's blood. But I wouldn't think that they'd go after _him_, seeing as Yggdrasill was a much more prominent threat.

There has to be a reason. A reason why this attempted murder occurred. I'm going to find out the secret behind Nebilim's minions... and put them to sleep, once and for all.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

_Third-Person P.O.V._

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Two shadowy figures stood in the darkness, their eyes illuminated by the bright light of the moon. The taller of the two had bright, ice-blue eyes, while the shorter and younger one bore eyes of scarlet that shimmered with the light of the stars.

Both figures bore long, flowing capes; the taller was clothed in sleek, majestic sapphire armor and wore a cape with the same color and gold trim that blew out behind her. The shorter bore fabric clothing of scarlet and a cape of the same color, also trimmed with gold, and swirled on the edges with elegant designs that twisted this way and that.

They both bore long, flowing, jet-black hair that shimmered in the moonlight. They were both female, and both bore swords; one a sword of ice, one a sword of flame.

And they both were half-elves. The slightly pointed ears that jutted from behind their concealing hair were evidence of that.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Author's Note: No shoujo-ai yet. But those two creepy half-elves are gonna be featured a lot in the future. So remember them, mmkay? ;)

I was originally planning to label this as an action/adventure/romance fic. However, it seems more appropriate to dub it action/adventure/suspense, seeing as there won't be too much mushy love in the story. But there still could be some... ;)

This is going to be a really bizarre fic, trust me. Just keep reading, and continue your hopes and dreams. Mmkay? ;)

...I wink too much.


	2. Visions of Martel

To Kill An Angel: A Fanfic by Gyppy

Timeline: Based 2 years after "Rising Shadow"

Summary: After Nebilim's shadow was sealed away once more, Lloyd thought that they could all finally enjoy peace. However, he could not have been more wrong...

Two old servants of Nebilim, half-elven females who had once worked for the treacherous Dark Lord, set out to stop Lloyd and his allies. Their first target: the Eternal Swordsman's father himself.

Pairings: LloydxColette and SheenaxZelos primarily, with hints at GenisxPresea, SelesxOC and minor KratosxRaine. There will also be some PronymaxYggdrasill.

Author's Note: This is my sequel to _Rising Shadow_. It's gonna be quite a bit different from my usual fanfiction, though.

First of all, in case you're too lazy to go back and read _Rising Shadow_ or if you just forgot the details, Abyssion was the main character in my previous fanfic, and Nebilim (the form you fight in the game) is his arch-rival. Abyssion has a younger brother, Leviathan, who falls for Seles (hence the SelesxOC). This fanfic focuses more around Lloyd, however. Colloyd and Sheelos will be the primary pairings.

And now, for the warnings. As with most T-rated fanfics on this site, there will be swearing, violence and some references to sex. However, there's a bit of a deeper warning involved with this fic: two of the OCs which I am pairing up are female, which will add a shoujo-ai warning to the fic. There won't be any _real_ yuri in the fic, but there will be references to shoujo-ai. The rating may go up later if I decide to pull a _Lifelong Promises_ later on in the fic.

Also, as a side note, those of you who have read _Difficult Journey_ (_Rising Shadow_'s Kraine sidestory) will know that Kratos and Raine are officially a pairing in this storyline. However, there will be very few references to the pairing in the actual storyline. There may be a few Kraine moments, but I understand that there are many people who would hurt or even kill me for making Kraine references in a supposedly canon fic. I personally enjoy the pairing, and if you hate it, so be it. Don't be reading a Kraine supporter's fanfiction if you dislike the pairing. Got it?

As a side note, text like _'this'_ is in a flashback/dream or a voice in someone's head. Got it?

Thank you very much for the review(s).

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia, Namco, Final Fantasy or Square-Enix.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Chapter 1: Visions of Martel

_Yggdrasill's P.O.V._

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

_'"No... it can't be... Martel is dead..."_

_I looked up at the figure that stood before me. That long, flowing green hair, those gentle green eyes... it was as if Martel herself had been revived. But Martel had been killed by Nebilim over four thousand years ago... she couldn't be standing right before me, alive!_

_"Yggdrasill, it is not your imagination," the figure that stood before me said. "I must tell you this... the Cruxis Crystal that contains my soul is bound in the space where the Tower of Destruction once stood. Nebilim took the souls of those he killed and placed them in Cruxis Crystals lining the interior of the Tower. I managed to make it out alive, but so many other souls... were lost."_

_"I thought I had lost you forever," I said. "You... you couldn't possibly be alive, standing in front of me..."_

_"I am a lifeless being," Martel said. "In my current state, I will fade... unless I am revived. The way to revive my soul so that it will not be trapped by the Cruxis Crystal... is to seal Nebilim's power from this world forever. To do that... you must seal Niflheim itself."_

_"There's no way I could preserve you for that long," I said, unable to keep the worry out of my tone. "Lifeless beings are not capable of living in the outside world for such a long period of time!"_

_"I know that," Martel said. "Nebilim sealed the survivors with a special magic that would prevent their fading... and now that Nebilim has returned to the Underworld, I will begin to fade once more. The demonic power that is taking me over and sealing me within the crystal must be stopped. You can do that... I trust you, Yggdrasill."_

_Martel slowly faded from my vision as I continued to gaze upon the form that I had known from so long ago._

_"So she's alive... but only in the Cruxis Crystal... she will never have a physical body again, but I wish for her to live on... I must defeat Nebilim, and seal the Underworld itself... she trusts me, but... I doubt I can do it."'_

**abc**

_Third-Person P.O.V._

**abc**

Yggdrasill awoke from his slumber with a start. He looked around, frantically searching for the figure he had seen in his dream. However, all he could find was the still-sleeping figure of Pronyma, next to him in the bed. He looked out the window and quickly figured out it was still nighttime on Derris-Kharlan; it must've been at least two in the morning.

_Wait a minute,_ he thought to himself as his gaze shifted back to Pronyma. _What is **she** doing here?_

He didn't remember any of the events of that evening. All he remembered was that he had fallen asleep, and experienced a dream about Martel's soul still being locked in the Tower of Destruction's former resting place. As he watched Pronyma, something suddenly came to his mind; then he noticed that his clothing was still on, and breathed a sigh of relief. He was glad he hadn't done _that_ with her.

He rose out of bed ever so slowly; there was _no_ way he'd be able to get any more sleep after that dream. As he slowly wandered down the massive halls of Vinheim, he summoned forth his wings; finding the catwalk on the second floor, he jumped right off the edge and sailed down into the main room, looking around. Hoping and silently praying that nobody saw him, he stepped into the transporter that led to Welgaia. He wished to return to Symphonia as soon as possible.

However, a silent voice interrupted his train of thought.

"What are you doing here?"

Yggdrasill turned around quickly, noticing the form of Lloyd standing before the stairs.

"I couldn't sleep," the seraph replied. "And besides... I could ask you the same thing."

"It's dangerous to go outside of Vinheim at night," Lloyd said. "You never know what the hell might be lurking out there. You wouldn't want to _die_ before you were able to finish off Nebilim, now would you?"

Yggdrasill was silent for a moment, floating in the aura of the transporter. Finally, he found his voice and said, "Martel is calling to me. She appeared in a dream I had-"

"What the?" Lloyd exclaimed, interrupting Yggdrasill. "Martel... was calling to you!"

"Yes," Yggdrasill stated simply. "She says she still lies in the resting place of the Tower of Destruction. Her Cruxis Crystal is slowly trapping her within... she will never be able to see the light of day again if we can't seal Niflheim."

"You can't seal Niflheim by yourself," Lloyd said, calming down. "And you can't seal Niflheim if you can't even restore your energy. I know there's someone out there who's looking for us..."

"Ah, yes," Yggdrasill said, remembering Kratos. "You wouldn't want your father to die, now would you?"

With that, the seraph floated out of the transporter's aura and returned to his room. Lloyd watched his sparkling wings the entire way.

"I wish we knew everything," the swordsman said. "Everything about Nebilim... everything about what he's planned for this world as well as Symphonia... and what he's planning with Kratos."

Lloyd silently returned to his own room, contemplating Yggdrasill's words.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

"Katrina, Camille," Nebilim's voice said through the projector. "You must kill a Seraph of Cruxis and take his Cruxis Crystal. There is no way I'll be able to break the seal unless I have a Seraph's Cruxis Crystal."

"Understood," the older of the two, Camille, said. "I will seek the Seraphim."

"Which one shall we go after?" the younger, Katrina, asked.

"Go after Kratos," Nebilim replied. "He is the oldest, and thus has the strongest and most useful Cruxis Crystal. It would be good if you could get more than one, but Seraphim are far too powerful to risk it. And besides... Kratos has a descendant. The others do not."

"Yes, sir," Katrina said, brushing back her jet-black hair from her eyes. "I shall do as you wish... and Camille as well."

The projector turned off, and the two half-elves stared at each other, locking eyes.

"We'll take out that Kratos," Camille said, a devious smirk crossing her face. "Of course, I don't think I'll be _able_ to pull it off without you." She pulled the other's face closer to her own with her hands, gently taking Katrina's head.

"And I wouldn't be able to accomplish it without you," Katrina said softly, reaching up one of her own hands to touch Camille's face. "And the gods of Hurricana shall surely smile upon you as well as me."

The eyes of Camille seemed to radiate a warmth uncharacteristic of her cold heart. She allowed herself to plant a soft kiss on Katrina's lips, then broke away and returned to her own room.

Katrina reached down and grasped the hilt of her sword of fire. "In the name of Efreet, I swear to protect you. And I hope that you protect me as well."

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Author's Note: The baddies have been revealed. Yep, you guessed it; those two half-elves featured in the last chapter are the two main baddies. And they're also in love, which is a peculiar twist to my story. I don't write shoujo-ai (as a matter of fact, I vehemently oppose it), but I figured it'd be a unique touch to incorporate it into my fanfiction in some way or another.

You may ask me why I gave them those names. It should be fairly obvious if you know a _shred_ of detail about Atlantic hurricane history (which I'm sure you don't if you don't live in the United States). Katrina was the one that hit New Orleans just earlier this year, and Camille was a big Category 5 storm back in '69. (And by Category 5, I mean one that actually struck land at that strength. Camille is one of the few Atlantic hurricanes that has made landfall in the U.S. at Category 5. The only other two on record were an unnamed storm in 1935, and Hurricane Andrew in 1992.)

And these two characters have nothing to do with the storm souls featured in some of my other fanfiction. They are separate characters, simply named after the hurricanes.

Yep, there's day and night on Derris-Kharlan. And Pronyma wound up in Yggdrasill's bed. Figures...


	3. Shadow Chase

To Kill An Angel: A Fanfic by Gyppy

Timeline: Based 2 years after "Rising Shadow"

Summary: After Nebilim's shadow was sealed away once more, Lloyd thought that they could all finally enjoy peace. However, he could not have been more wrong...

Two old servants of Nebilim, half-elven females who had once worked for the treacherous Dark Lord, set out to stop Lloyd and his allies. Their first target: the Eternal Swordsman's father himself.

Pairings: LloydxColette and SheenaxZelos primarily, with hints at GenisxPresea, SelesxOC and minor KratosxRaine. There will also be some PronymaxYggdrasill.

Author's Note: This is my sequel to _Rising Shadow_. It's gonna be quite a bit different from my usual fanfiction, though.

First of all, in case you're too lazy to go back and read _Rising Shadow_ or if you just forgot the details, Abyssion was the main character in my previous fanfic, and Nebilim (the form you fight in the game) is his arch-rival. Abyssion has a younger brother, Leviathan, who falls for Seles (hence the SelesxOC). This fanfic focuses more around Lloyd, however. Colloyd and Sheelos will be the primary pairings.

And now, for the warnings. As with most T-rated fanfics on this site, there will be swearing, violence and some references to sex. However, there's a bit of a deeper warning involved with this fic: two of the OCs which I am pairing up are female, which will add a shoujo-ai warning to the fic. There won't be any _real_ yuri in the fic, but there will be references to shoujo-ai. The rating may go up later if I decide to pull a _Lifelong Promises_ later on in the fic.

Also, as a side note, those of you who have read _Difficult Journey_ (_Rising Shadow_'s Kraine sidestory) will know that Kratos and Raine are officially a pairing in this storyline. However, there will be very few references to the pairing in the actual storyline. There may be a few Kraine moments, but I understand that there are many people who would hurt or even kill me for making Kraine references in a supposedly canon fic. I personally enjoy the pairing, and if you hate it, so be it. Don't be reading a Kraine supporter's fanfiction if you dislike the pairing. Got it?

As a side note, text like _'this'_ is in a flashback/dream or a voice in someone's head. Got it?

Thank you very much for the review(s).

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia, Namco, Final Fantasy or Square-Enix.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Chapter 2: Shadow Chase

_Third-Person P.O.V._

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Kratos found it impossible to sleep. Even though he knew that everything _should_ be safe on Derris-Kharlan... something just didn't feel right. The air of Vinheim was unusually cold tonight, and there seemed to be the smell of dark mana somewhere within the structure.

The seraph had decided to room alone for the night. He had no desire to be around anyone else. He knew something was wrong... very wrong.

He slowly rose from the bed and started restlessly pacing about the room, allowing his mind to drift to the new mana signature he could feel. Somewhere in this building, there was a creature of darkness... somewhere out there, within the bowels of the castle, there was a great evil lurking. And he could feel the presence of this dark mana more than anyone else...

Suddenly, Kratos' sensitive angelic hearing picked up the sound of very quiet, almost stealthy, footsteps nearing the door. He turned to face the door, grasping his sword's hilt and spreading his wings. As the door opened, his met the eyes of the one who was stalking him.

Those frozen eyes... seemingly chilled to the very core, and emanating a peculiar cold aura that wrapped around the entire room.

"I see _you_ haven't changed a bit," the figure said, in a feminine voice that sounded remarkably like Celsius. "I desire no more than the Cruxis Crystal which lays upon your skin. If you give it to me, I will not kill you."

Kratos now sensed the threat. This creature was a half-elf, and not just any half-elf at that. She was a servant of Nebilim, as could be told by the dark aura which flowed around her.

"I do not wish to give in to your foolish desires," Kratos said simply, drawing his sword.

He slashed at the foe, only to have his attack blocked by her sword of ice.

"If you so desire, it shall be your wish," the person said. "I'll kill you right where you stand!"

"Good luck trying," Kratos said, smirking. He teleported behind the person and took off running through the halls of Vinheim.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

"He is indeed a stubborn man," the half-elf said to herself as she traversed the halls. "Playing this little game of cat-and-mouse with me... but I fear he won't be able to hang on much longer." She stepped out onto the catwalk on the second floor and looked down at the floor. "I see he's trying to avoid me... as per usual."

Before Kratos could escape, he was cut off by a red-eyed female half-elf that looked around three years younger than the first. She drew a sword of fire and prepared to swipe at him. He responded by executing a backflip, and then proceeded to run back to the staircase.

"Let us continue our pursuit," the younger one said, looking up at the one on the catwalk. "Camille, you should come down here."

"As you wish," the one called Camille said. "Katrina, I advise you go after Kratos. This is going to take a while."

The one called Katrina took off after the stairs while Camille used the power of her Exsphere to execute a flawless jump off the edge of the catwalk, landing precisely in the middle of the main room. She turned and followed Katrina, chasing Kratos up the staircase.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

As Kratos ran through the mighty structure, he would occasionally stop off and awaken one of his comrades, telling them to meet him in the main room. He continued to run, through the halls and over the roof, going in a complete circle as he eventually returned to the main room. Sure enough, everyone was there.

Unfortunately, Camille and Katrina were also there. They had decided to break off, knowing Kratos would simply return to the main room, and had hidden in the section of the castle said only to be open to Mithos. Somehow they'd managed to pick the lock on the door, and had hid there, waiting for the others to gather.

And when they burst out into the main room, everyone was surprised.

"You wish only to admit to your own defeat," Camille said, smirking. "You have no chance of defeating us."

Kratos growled, once again drawing his sword. He stepped closer to the two half-elves, glaring defiantly at them.

"Don't try anything funny," Katrina warned. "You already refused to give us your crystal... now we'll just have to _kill_ you."

"Stay away from him!" Colette shrieked, leaping forward on angelic wings. Nimbly dodging a somewhat unexpected sword attack from Camille, she quickly threw a chakram at the two, which they dodged.

After catching the weapon again, Colette jumped clean over their heads and launched a Torrential Para Ball, which struck both foes. Katrina turned to Colette, while Camille turned to Kratos, who was attacking from the opposite side.

Raine was worried about the two; she loosed Field Barrier, which covered everyone on the battlefield - with the exception of their enemies, of course.

"It's a futile effort," Camille taunted. "If you had simply given us your crystal, we wouldn't have had to kill you... but now you stubbornly refuse, and we'll have to take yet another innocent life."

Kratos knew that Camille would not stop taunting him; he loosed Sonic Thrust, immediately followed by Fierce Demon Fang, then Hell Pyre. All three attacks struck true, striking both foes. However, Katrina seemed to be minimally affected by Hell Pyre.

Camille responded by casting Spread, immediately followed by Freeze Lancer; unfortunately for Kratos, both attacks struck, the Spread launching him into the air while the Freeze Lancer battered him in midair.

Colette had already grown tired of the fight. She silently signaled to Raine to launch an attack, while she prepared one of her own.

Raine smirked. She knew just the perfect spell for this situation.

Calling upon the angelic power she was now in possession of, she closed her eyes and started the incantation.

"_Sacred light, fall upon this foe and cleanse it of its corruption!_"

Merely a second passed, and then Raine loosed the spell.

"**_JUDGMENT!_**"

As Raine's attack began, Colette loosed Stardust Cross; the combination of attacks was more than enough to weaken the foe, almost to the point of being unable to fight. And as the last prismatic beam faded from the area, Camille staggered back, unable to continue the battle.

Camille glanced one last time at Kratos, then made her swift escape. Katrina followed suit, and they both exited Vinheim.

"_That_ was a little too close for comfort," Lloyd commented, glancing around. "Next time, we'd better disable the transporter at night."

"I'll make sure to," Mithos said. "If it'll prevent any _more_ incidents like that."

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Yggdrasill absent-mindedly returned to his room; much to his surprise, Pronyma had again taken up residence in his bed. He sighed, exasperated, and quietly settled into bed.

_Well, at least there's **some** benefit to this bizarre occurrence,_ the seraph thought to himself. _At least now I won't be alone at night._

Being careful not to disturb Pronyma, he crept closer to her and wrapped his arms around her. Ever so slowly, he pulled himself closer to her.

_She's kinda nice,_ he thought to himself before drifting off into sleep.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Author's Note: Yay, finally some action! And some PronyxYggy as well. XD

There'll be more fluffishness later. I might even change it to action/adventure/romance later on. Knowing me, it's bound to happen. :D

Raine's pretty cool, but only when she wants to.

As a side note, did anyone else note that "Resurrection" makes a really cool noise? I love that noise.


	4. Sealing the Gates

To Kill An Angel: A Fanfic by Gyppy

Timeline: Based 2 years after "Rising Shadow"

Summary: After Nebilim's shadow was sealed away once more, Lloyd thought that they could all finally enjoy peace. However, he could not have been more wrong...

Two old servants of Nebilim, half-elven females who had once worked for the treacherous Dark Lord, set out to stop Lloyd and his allies. Their first target: the Eternal Swordsman's father himself.

Pairings: LloydxColette and SheenaxZelos primarily, with hints at GenisxPresea, SelesxOC and minor KratosxRaine. There will also be some PronymaxYggdrasill.

Author's Note: This is my sequel to _Rising Shadow_. It's gonna be quite a bit different from my usual fanfiction, though.

First of all, in case you're too lazy to go back and read _Rising Shadow_ or if you just forgot the details, Abyssion was the main character in my previous fanfic, and Nebilim (the form you fight in the game) is his arch-rival. Abyssion has a younger brother, Leviathan, who falls for Seles (hence the SelesxOC). This fanfic focuses more around Lloyd, however. Colloyd and Sheelos will be the primary pairings.

And now, for the warnings. As with most T-rated fanfics on this site, there will be swearing, violence and some references to sex. However, there's a bit of a deeper warning involved with this fic: two of the OCs which I am pairing up are female, which will add a shoujo-ai warning to the fic. There won't be any _real_ yuri in the fic, but there will be references to shoujo-ai. The rating may go up later if I decide to pull a _Lifelong Promises_ later on in the fic.

Also, as a side note, those of you who have read _Difficult Journey_ (_Rising Shadow_'s Kraine sidestory) will know that Kratos and Raine are officially a pairing in this storyline. However, there will be very few references to the pairing in the actual storyline. There may be a few Kraine moments, but I understand that there are many people who would hurt or even kill me for making Kraine references in a supposedly canon fic. I personally enjoy the pairing, and if you hate it, so be it. Don't be reading a Kraine supporter's fanfiction if you dislike the pairing. Got it?

As a side note, text like _'this'_ is in a flashback/dream or a voice in someone's head. Got it?

Thank you very much for the review(s).

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia, Namco, Final Fantasy or Square-Enix.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Chapter 3: Sealing the Gates

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Kratos suggested the next morning that they go to Sybak, seeing as it was the location of the Book of Niflheim, which would allow entrance to Niflheim. All they would have to do is destroy the book in some way or another, and the dimension would be sealed.

Everyone else thought the idea was simple; what they didn't realize was what would happen next.

So the group, consisting of Lloyd, Colette, Zelos, Sheena, Genis, Presea, Kratos, Raine, Yggdrasill and Pronyma, headed out to Sybak. It was conveniently placed close to the Tower of Salvation, so they didn't have to travel far.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Camille smirked as she set foot into the town of Sybak. The town, as always, was bustling with activity, but they barely noticed the presence of the two half-elves that suddenly entered the town.

Katrina had suggested that they destroy Sybak and keep the Book of Niflheim, seeing as it would make their task much easier. They could carry the Book of Niflheim to the Temple of Darkness and hide it at the seal, where it would be impossible to find for those on the side of light.

No more than an hour later, the town of Sybak lay in ruins. The smoke from the town's burning could be seen across Tethe'alla, as it drifted with the wind as far as Flanoir. The town's entire population, as well as the few government officials and those outsiders working in the town, were dead, either laying scattered across the now-ruined streets or burning with the structures and the walls of the town.

And the Book of Niflheim had been secured by the two servants of Nebilim as they fled the site to the Fooji Mountains, where they would hopefully remain unseen.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Lloyd arrived in Sybak to see a horrible sight. Before him lay the ruined remnants of a once prosperous town, and even the Imperial Research Academy was destroyed. The group wandered around the town in hopes of finding a survivor or two, but they found none. Everyone was dead, and their blood filled the streets of the town, emitting a horrible smell that mixed with the smells of the fires and bodies within them burning.

Kratos found it odd that the town would emit such a horrible stench if the bodies were fresh, which they obviously were. He wandered about town, seeking for clues, while the others figured that their journey was over, seeing as the structure that had contained the book was destroyed.

However, Kratos returned with evidence of Nebilim's servants; a lone shard of ice had been caught in one of the bodies, and it bore the dark aura and everlasting qualities of Camille's sword. Kratos believed that the two servants had destroyed the town and killed any survivors, carrying off the Book of Niflheim to make sure that no one laid their hands on it.

Now, they were faced with the task of recovering the book and destroying Camille and Katrina. Seeing as they had no idea where the two might lay, they were forced to search all over Symphonia, starting with Ozette and Mizuho, which were thankfully close to Sybak. After finding no evidence there, they headed to Meltokio, where someone suggested that they might be in the Fooji Mountains to the south of Meltokio.

That was the group's next destination.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

"I see they've found us," Camille said, glancing at Katrina. "We'd better escape the mountains before they catch on. But where to?"

"Heimdall would be best," Katrina replied. "Half-elves and humans are rarely allowed in the village, so they won't be able to get in."

"I think you're forgetting something," Camille said. "_We're_ half-elves. They won't let us in."

"Oh, we'll find a way," Katrina said. "We might have to take a different form, but we'll eventually figure it out."

"Heimdall it is, then," Camille said. "You better not be lying to me, or I'll set you straight. Got it?"

Katrina shuddered at the threat, but simply waved it off in her mind, telling herself that Camille would never kill her. The two walked to the edge of the mountain and called forth their wings; Camille bore feathers of pure ice, while Katrina's were blazing like the sun itself.

And from there, they soared to Heimdall.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Unfortunately for Lloyd, the group arrived too late. However, at the mountain, they came across their old friend, Abyssion, who had also been seeking out the book.

**abc**

"I saw two half-elves flying to Heimdall," Abyssion said. "They seemed to be angelic in origin, but I couldn't tell if they were fallen angels or not."

"These two are putting up a fight," Lloyd commented. "They're going this way and that, trying to evade us. At this rate, we'll never catch them."

"I can take you to Flanoir," Abyssion said. "From there, we can make plans. Hopefully, we'll be able to avoid them long enough to figure out where they might be."

"What would avoiding them do if we're trying to catch them?" Lloyd asked.

"Leviathan," Abyssion replied. "If we're in Flanoir, they'll most likely target Levi, and I don't want him to die."

"Flanoir is the safest place," Zelos said. "I already have it covered. Don't worry about it."

Abyssion glanced at Zelos and tilted his head, as if confused. Zelos merely winked, indicating he had some sort of plan.

"Then we're going to Flanoir," Kratos said. "Let's not waste any time." He turned to Abyssion. "Will you come with us?"

"Of course," Abyssion replied. "We're friends, right? Let's go!"

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Author's Note: Sorry about the short chapter. I'm sorta blocked on the story, so don't expect the chapters to be too long from here on out.

And yes, there will be more Yggynyma later on. XD

I promise there'll be more fluff later on. Fluff in the next chapter, hopefully. But nothing M-rated. If I did that, I'd be screwed over.


	5. Return to Flanoir

To Kill An Angel: A Fanfic by Gyppy

Timeline: Based 2 years after "Rising Shadow"

Summary: After Nebilim's shadow was sealed away once more, Lloyd thought that they could all finally enjoy peace. However, he could not have been more wrong...

Two old servants of Nebilim, half-elven females who had once worked for the treacherous Dark Lord, set out to stop Lloyd and his allies. Their first target: the Eternal Swordsman's father himself.

Pairings: LloydxColette and SheenaxZelos primarily, with hints at GenisxPresea, SelesxOC and minor KratosxRaine. There will also be some PronymaxYggdrasill.

Author's Note: This is my sequel to _Rising Shadow_. It's gonna be quite a bit different from my usual fanfiction, though.

First of all, in case you're too lazy to go back and read _Rising Shadow_ or if you just forgot the details, Abyssion was the main character in my previous fanfic, and Nebilim (the form you fight in the game) is his arch-rival. Abyssion has a younger brother, Leviathan, who falls for Seles (hence the SelesxOC). This fanfic focuses more around Lloyd, however. Colloyd and Sheelos will be the primary pairings.

And now, for the warnings. As with most T-rated fanfics on this site, there will be swearing, violence and some references to sex. However, there's a bit of a deeper warning involved with this fic: two of the OCs which I am pairing up are female, which will add a shoujo-ai warning to the fic. There won't be any _real_ yuri in the fic, but there will be references to shoujo-ai. The rating may go up later if I decide to pull a _Lifelong Promises_ later on in the fic.

Also, as a side note, those of you who have read _Difficult Journey_ (_Rising Shadow_'s Kraine sidestory) will know that Kratos and Raine are officially a pairing in this storyline. However, there will be very few references to the pairing in the actual storyline. There may be a few Kraine moments, but I understand that there are many people who would hurt or even kill me for making Kraine references in a supposedly canon fic. I personally enjoy the pairing, and if you hate it, so be it. Don't be reading a Kraine supporter's fanfiction if you dislike the pairing. Got it?

As a side note, text like _'this'_ is in a flashback/dream or a voice in someone's head. Got it?

Thank you very much for the review(s).

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia, Namco, Final Fantasy or Square-Enix.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Chapter 4: Return to Flanoir

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

The group headed back to Flanoir in hopes of figuring out what to do next, and also to figure out Zelos' plan. Lloyd seemed rather suspicious of Zelos, seeing as he always came up with bizarre plans.

They arrived at Abyssion's house, where they were greeted by Leviathan, who seemed to be in good health, much to their surprise. Seles was also there, as per usual.

**abc**

"You're chasing down a pair of weirdos," Leviathan said. "They're both half-elves, and they're both servants of Nebilim."

"Precisely," Kratos stated.

"Can you please help us?" Abyssion asked, his gaze settling on Leviathan.

"Sure thing," Leviathan replied, returning his brother's gaze. "The thing you need to do is, search for the place that half-elves would be least likely to be accepted. If you want to get in there, it may be a little difficult, but I'm sure you'll be able to pull it off."

"Thanks, Levi," Abyssion said. "Oh, and one more thing. Can we stay here for the night?"

"As long as you keep the noise down," Leviathan said, smirking as he glanced at Kratos and Raine, who turned red.

Lloyd glanced at Kratos suspiciously, but a glare from the seraph caused him to turn away.

"It's getting dark out," Abyssion observed. "We should get going to bed soon."

"Yeah, you're right," Lloyd said. "Let's go for now. We can discuss more later."

"Then I'll be taking my leave," Leviathan said. "I'll be rooming with Seles tonight-"

"Don't do anything funny," Abyssion warned, interrupting Leviathan.

"Don't worry, I won't," Levi said, rolling his eyes. "You should probably room alone, Abyssion. I _know_ how you tend to get fidgety around females."

Abyssion sweatdropped at his brother's statement.

Leviathan merely smirked at Abyssion before leaving the room; Seles followed closely behind him. Abyssion quickly left the room, evidently taking a different path. Lloyd glanced at Colette, and the two left together, heading for their own room; Kratos and Raine followed suit, then Genis and Presea. Finally, all that was left was Zelos and Sheena.

"There aren't many rooms in this house," Sheena commented. "Looks like we'll have to sleep on the couch tonight."

"Together?" Zelos asked hopefully, earning him a smack. "Oww..."

"We _can_, as long as you promise not to do anything funny," Sheena muttered.

"Never," Zelos said, grinning. "I wouldn't want to tarnish my sweet, voluptuous hunny's reputation, now would I?"

"You idiot," Sheena said.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Lloyd couldn't sleep, so he and Colette decided to walk up to the point overlooking the rest of the city, near the church.

The sky was covered with a thin, translucent layer of stratus clouds; from those clouds fell small snow-like ice crystals, which sparkled beautifully in the dim light from the moon and the light from the streetlights. They were like tiny prisms, reflecting brilliant colors all around.

**abc**

"Say, Colette," Lloyd said, turning to the blonde. "It's really pretty tonight, isn't it?"

"It's beautiful," Colette said. "Very beautiful. It's almost like it's raining diamonds."

Lloyd held out a hand as if to catch one of the falling crystals, only to have it melt in his hand.

"That would be amazing," Lloyd said. "If all the little snowflakes were just made of diamonds... and then they wouldn't melt so easily." He giggled as he remembered a snowball fight he'd had with the others a year before.

"Hehe, yeah," Colette said, moving closer to Lloyd. "But then again, we can't always have what we want... can we?"

"It seems very unlike you to say that," Lloyd commented. "But... I guess you're right." He looked out over the city. "It's so much more beautiful without the miasma... even the snow seems to be whiter now."

"Yes, it's very beautiful," Colette said, smiling.

"Almost as beautiful as you," Lloyd added shyly, blushing slightly. His hand met hers, and held on to it tight.

"You look nice yourself," Colette said, looking up at Lloyd. She did not attempt to hide the redness that had crept across her face.

"Ah... not really," Lloyd said, glancing down at his feet.

"No, really," Colette said. She gently tugged on Lloyd's arm, as if she wanted to tell him something.

The swordsman turned to face her, looking down at her. She turned to face him.

"May I?" Colette asked, her very eyes hinting at what she wanted to do. Lloyd nodded silently in response.

As they reached toward each other with their free hands, they drew each other into a kiss, one that started out light, but eventually faded into a deep, almost passionate one. They continued this activity, exploring the unknown of one another's mouths, and Colette felt that there was no greater joy than being able to share this moment with Lloyd.

After a time, they parted, still holding one another close.

"It's getting kind of late," Colette commented, glancing up briefly at the sky. "We should be going to bed."

"Just one more?" Lloyd begged, catching her eyes again.

"Sure," Colette replied, before she was once again drawn to him, and they shared another kiss.

It was the most wonderful night of their lives. They loved it more than anything else.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Author's Note: I'm gonna be changing the genre of this fanfic now. I've always wanted to write that scene... it's been a scene that has been caught in my mind for ages. Partially inspired by the opening scene with Lloyd and Colette in Flanoir XD


	6. Lost in a Storm of Memories

To Kill An Angel: A Fanfic by Gyppy

Timeline: Based 2 years after "Rising Shadow"

Summary: After Nebilim's shadow was sealed away once more, Lloyd thought that they could all finally enjoy peace. However, he could not have been more wrong...

Two old servants of Nebilim, half-elven females who had once worked for the treacherous Dark Lord, set out to stop Lloyd and his allies. Their first target: the Eternal Swordsman's father himself.

Pairings: LloydxColette and SheenaxZelos primarily, with hints at GenisxPresea, SelesxOC and minor KratosxRaine. There will also be some PronymaxYggdrasill.

Author's Note: This is my sequel to _Rising Shadow_. It's gonna be quite a bit different from my usual fanfiction, though.

First of all, in case you're too lazy to go back and read _Rising Shadow_ or if you just forgot the details, Abyssion was the main character in my previous fanfic, and Nebilim (the form you fight in the game) is his arch-rival. Abyssion has a younger brother, Leviathan, who falls for Seles (hence the SelesxOC). This fanfic focuses more around Lloyd, however. Colloyd and Sheelos will be the primary pairings.

And now, for the warnings. As with most T-rated fanfics on this site, there will be swearing, violence and some references to sex. However, there's a bit of a deeper warning involved with this fic: two of the OCs which I am pairing up are female, which will add a shoujo-ai warning to the fic. There won't be any _real_ yuri in the fic, but there will be references to shoujo-ai. The rating may go up later if I decide to pull a _Lifelong Promises_ later on in the fic.

Also, as a side note, those of you who have read _Difficult Journey_ (_Rising Shadow_'s Kraine sidestory) will know that Kratos and Raine are officially a pairing in this storyline. However, there will be very few references to the pairing in the actual storyline. There may be a few Kraine moments, but I understand that there are many people who would hurt or even kill me for making Kraine references in a supposedly canon fic. I personally enjoy the pairing, and if you hate it, so be it. Don't be reading a Kraine supporter's fanfiction if you dislike the pairing. Got it?

As a side note, text like _'this'_ is in a flashback/dream or a voice in someone's head. Got it?

Thank you very much for the review(s).

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia, Namco, Final Fantasy or Square-Enix.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Chapter 5: Lost in a Storm of Memories

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Her wings were most peculiar; long and thin feathers of mana streamed out behind her, branching at the very tips. But what set these wings apart from most is that they were pure black... they bore the color of shadow, waving back and forth and distributing dark mana everywhere they went.

She was very young, perhaps only six years old. Her midnight blue hair, down to her waist, was tied back in a long ponytail, and in the front, there were two stray locks held forward by mysterious, golden hairpins. Her eyes, which seemed to glow in the dark, were of a brilliant sapphire. At her waist was a scabbard, and within that scabbard was a simple shortsword.

She had seen her mother die at the hands of the Desians... she had never seen her father, and assumed he was dead. But she would not give up hope, and continued to traverse the landscape, searching for that half-elven mana signature.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Abyssion blocked the strike of a night raid, causing the wolf-like creature to fall back. He retaliated by launching a Demon Fang at the opposing canine, which knocked it out.

Raine, who was the only one really paying attention to anything around her, could sense a peculiar mana signature. It was dark, definitely evil, but at the same time it seemed almost harmless.

Another night raid lunged after Lloyd, who managed to jump back in time to avoid the wolf's attack. He returned the attack with a Sonic Thrust, followed by Demon Fang. The foe was knocked back, but it didn't seem to be too badly hurt.

Zelos loosed his Judgment spell, sending prismatic beams of light falling down on the battlefield. One or two struck the night raid that had been attacking Lloyd, taking it out.

However, by this time Abyssion had picked up on the mana signature. He could clearly feel there was something wrong about the area, that something else was going to be attacking soon...

But by the time he looked up, it was already too late.

The creature was positively massive, with grotesquely twisted horns on its head and a long, snakelike neck. At the base of this neck was the body of a full-grown winged dragon, each wing probably able to cover twice the area of a normal dragon. Its long, thick tail was lined at the top with the sharp teeth that were characteristic of such dragons, and its talons were like massive, curved lances of solid steel.

It was amazing how such a creature could fly, but it did indeed fly if it wished to; and using this flight ability, it stalked the group, loosing massive gusts of wind that felt like the blasts from a hurricane.

As the dragon attacked, the group felt helpless. Though attack after attack would pummel it, it barely seemed affected by the attacks. It would respond occasionally with a massive wind attack, which would blow back the humans and half-elves, sending them flying.

Abyssion was not ready to give up yet. Calling upon the power of his angelic form, he summoned forth Dark Judgment, which took the monster by surprise, tearing into its skin. Its wings were torn apart and bloodied, and its scales were ripped clean off in places. These left openings for the others to attack; however, they could not reach the monster, no matter how hard they tried. It would flail far too much for them to access the skin.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

She felt the mana signatures of five half-elves; two of them appeared dark, while the rest of them were light. Her wings twitched in anticipation as she grasped the hilt of her sword, unsheathing it slowly and steadily.

As she looked up, the sky suddenly turned blood red; beams of dark judgment fell upon a massive dragon, removing some of its scales and tearing its wings apart.

_Classic Dark Judgment,_ she thought to herself. _It's like these blades. From what I've heard, it isn't anything like the pure Judgment of seraphim... more like just blades of darkness, falling from the sky and tearing their foes apart._

She continued to approach, being sure to remain silent. She wrapped her wings around her body, as if to further conceal herself.

Then, she noted something oddly familiar. She had never felt it before, but for some reason, it seemed... familiar, almost as if she'd actually felt the mana signature like that. It was a half-elf, it bore the signature of darkness... and it also bore her own aura.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Abyssion's Hurricane Thrust had done little but flinch the opponent; the dragon soon swung its massive tail at the swordsman, who dodged with agility unmatched. Using his wings, he rose into the air and delivered the attack known as Gravity Blade, his version of Rising Falcon. The attack struck true, knocking back the dragon and causing it to flinch. Abyssion utilized this time to deliver Raging Beast, which further knocked back the foe.

Kratos charged in and attacked mercilessly with Fierce Demon Fang and Light Spear Cannon. The attacks connected hard, causing the dragon to flinch again, but it quickly recovered, and charged in to attack.

Genis loosed Explosion, but it seemed to have little effect on the dragon. The foe reared up and prepared to slam itself down on the ground, an attack that would flatten Abyssion.

When suddenly, black and red mana missiles soared through the air, slicing deep into the dragon's flesh and causing it to spray blood all over the battlefield.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

As she approached the scene of battle, she felt an odd sense of triumph flow through her veins. Her wings fluttered joyously as she saw that the death of this half-elf had been prevented.

She knew what to do next. She watched the dragon's every move, and could feel the mana flowing through her body. She raised her sword up into the air with her right hand and held her left over her heart.

In that brief moment, her wings ceased to move. They just stood still, their feathers stiff and cold. The sparkling shadow that radiated from those wings was amazingly beautiful.

She closed her eyes and began whispering in the language of the elves. They were words only seraphim could hear, and that only elves could understand.

The mana flow around her seemed to change. The black aura of a shadow angel surrounded her, and the red Cruxis Crystal upon her chest began glowing. The blood-red feathers of shadow rose around her, shimmering despite their darkness. And all the time, she was quiet, except for the silent whisperings of her incantation.

All at once, she lowered the sword and let her hand fly out, seemingly directing the spell. The sky turned to blood again as Dark Judgment rained upon the dragon for the second time that day...

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Abyssion noticed the discoloration first. The sky had turned red, just like with his own Dark Judgment. The beams of shadow soon fell, tearing apart the foe with merciless strength. The dragon reared back and breathed its last as it fell to the ground, radiating an earthquake.

He knew then that the spell had not been cast by a half-elf or quarter-elf, or even a human infused with Aionis. The spell had been cast by one whose blood was mostly elf, but one quarter human, as it bore far more power than a half-elven attack.

He turned around, looking into the forest. And there, he saw the sparkling of shadow wings. They seemed to be infused with a similar energy to his own, and the feathers dangling from his hands waved in anticipation as he moved closer to the target.

Standing there, holding a sword out, was a young, mostly elven child. Her pointed ears stuck out from the mask of her long, midnight-blue hair, which was tied in front and back. Her eyes seemed to be of sapphire, a most beautiful color even for a shadow angel.

Abyssion reached up a hand, which absentmindedly ran through his own hair. The color was exactly the same, and even the length for the most part. He found it most peculiar that this child could so closely resemble him, when clearly...

_No, wait,_ he thought to himself. _It can't be... her?_

**abc**

_Abyssion's P.O.V._

**abc**

_'The night was cold and wrathful, and I could not feel a thing against the harsh wind and blowing snow. Flanoir seemed miles away now, but if only I could arrive there before I was killed by the blizzard..._

_A hand came from nowhere and brushed my shoulder. I turned to face the one who had touched me; she was an elf, with rather tame blue hair and sapphire eyes. In a silent tone, she offered to carry me to Flanoir... I asked her why, and she replied that she would always help travelers in need, no matter who they were._

_I was touched. She was the first elf I'd ever heard of that tolerated half-elves. I told her of my origin, but she seemed to be even more friendly towards me, saying that if she couldn't save a half-elf, she couldn't save a pureblooded elf._

_So we went off to Flanoir together, enduring the blizzard. It was a most intense blizzard, but we managed to reach the city, and collapsed in the Olive Village.'_

**abc**

_Third-Person P.O.V._

**abc**

"What is your name?" the swordsman suddenly demanded of the child, recalling his wings.

"My name is Allurya," the girl replied. "My mother was killed by Desians a few years ago... I managed to survive only by being taken in by people in Sybak. They seemed to accept me, as they did not know of my blood."

"And your origin was?" Abyssion asked.

"My mother was an elf," the girl replied. "She was a pureblooded elf, and I remember distantly that she had eyes just like mine. My father was a half-elf, but I never got to see him... he left my mother before I was born. I'm not sure if he's dead or alive."

"I see," Abyssion stated, turning away. However, he glanced back at her. "Do you have any idea what your father looked like?"

"Sort of," Allurya replied. "I recall hearing my mother say he had the most beautiful midnight blue hair of any half-elf she'd ever seen. And it was long and rugged, that of a swordsman."

Abyssion reached up and touched a strand of his hair again; then, he gasped. Turning to the child, he said to her, "I think I may know where your father might be."

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Abyssion's house was quiet; Leviathan was obviously asleep, and Seles seemed to be elsewhere. But it offered a welcome shelter against the snow and wind of Flanoir, and was constructed in such a way that heavy blizzards and snowfalls would not restrict entry.

Abyssion stared quietly into the eyes of this young girl named Allurya. For some reason, they seemed familiar, in some peculiar way that he couldn't quite place a finger on...

"I felt you were a half-elf, and I just had to save you," Allurya said quietly. "Were those other half-elves and humans your friends?"

"I suppose you could say that," Abyssion replied. "What was a young girl like you doing out in the battlefield? You could've been hurt or killed."

"I was looking for my father," Allurya stated simply. Her eyes shifted away, almost as if Abyssion's gaze seemed uncomfortable to her.

Abyssion looked about the house. _Good,_ he thought silently to himself. _No one else is here._

"Why are you acting so strangely?" Allurya asked, genuinely curious. Abyssion couldn't help but chuckle softly at the innocence of this young girl.

"I think I've figured it out," Abyssion said quietly to himself. Then, he spoke up. "Allurya, I may just be your father... you certainly seem similar enough to me."

Allurya's eyes brightened, and she looked up into Abyssion's, quite a bit more joyously this time. "You really think so?"

"I once knew an elf," Abyssion said. "I believe she was perhaps your mother, in fact. My short relationship with that elf could be considered disastrous... teenage childbirth is no small thing."

"My mother was quite young," Allurya said. "And you don't seem to be very old yourself. Are you sure you might be my father?"

"I'm fairly certain," Abyssion replied. "You seem to bear a similar aura to my own. And yet another thing that ties me to you is... your hair." He reached forward, noticing as Allurya flinched at his touch; however, he gently caressed one of the free locks that hung down on either side of her neck, holding it up so he could see the design on the hairpin.

After staring at the hairpin for a few short seconds, he finally figured it out. The family crest of that elf he had known so long ago was carved into the hairpin, proudly emblazoned on a round, flat surface. And she bore the same innocent eyes as that elf...

"I'm certain of it now," Abyssion said. "You... are my long-lost child."

Allurya seemed to be filled with various emotions: fear, confusion, anger and happiness, all at the same time. It seemed peculiar that one's eyes could bear that many expressions, but hers did, glowing with a peculiar radiance that brought back a storm of memories in Abyssion's mind.

However, the swordsman quickly turned away. "Unfortunately for both you and me, you... were a mistake. My entire life has been torn apart because of your existence, and I have never been able to find love again... to this day. I have lived out here in Flanoir for a number of years... six or so, perhaps. The only family I have left is my brother, Leviathan... and even he has been able to find love more readily than I."

Allurya's eyes filled with tears once more; would she be abandoned again? Would she be killed like her mother was?

Then, suddenly and unexpectedly, Abyssion turned back to Allurya. "However, I shall accept you. It is my duty as your father to keep you safe from harm. Even though your existence was never wanted, I have always desired a family of my own... and now I have it, in a sense." He reached forward and took her hair again, gazing at the hairpin. "I will always protect you for as long as I live, for my sake as well as for my brother's." Silently he concluded to himself, "This bloodline must carry on."

"So the rumors were true..." Allurya whispered. "My real name really is Allurya Reterian-Lerevi..."

Abyssion smiled warmly as he heard her full name spoken. He had remembered his former love's last name was Lerevi, and now his child could live to bear the name... even if this Lerevi _was_ a cruel person, she was still sentient, and deserved her memory to be cherished as well as possible.

And, of course, Abyssion never expected Levi to carry on. He was constantly plagued by illness, and seemed rather shy even around Seles. Abyssion knew his brother would have to wait... perhaps a few more years before that side could carry on.

But so many memories were still intact. Though lost in a storm of memories, Abyssion also felt love arise in his heart once more... love for someone besides Levi.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Author's Note: This to make up for the ridiculously short chapters you've been seeing lately. A piece about Abyssion's 'family', and the uncovering of his first and only descendant.

Sorry about the rapid updates. I just got randomly inspired here.

For those of you who haven't read Rising Shadow (I hope you have by now), Abyssion mentions his 'family' once in "Fireside Discussions and Fears". And for those of you who read the chapter "Truths of Leviathan" and the author's note at the end, 19 is still -technically- a teenager. Abyssion was around 19 when Allurya was born, but he left the elf (whose last name was Lerevi) about three months beforehand.

And trust me, this _isn't_ some cruel prank of Abyssion's. He knows that Allurya is his daughter, as she seems to have every single trait of both himself and the elf he loved as well as bearing the last names of both. The image on the hairpin was proof enough that Allurya was truly the child he'd been seeking the entire time.

Allurya started training in the field of swords around 5. Since she's 6 in this story, that means she was 4 at the time Rising Shadow is based, and was probably still living in Sybak. She also got the Cruxis Crystal in Sybak, from Mithos himself. However, she didn't realize until afterwards that the crystal bore the spirit of a servant of Nebilim.

The reason her Dark Judgment is more powerful than Abyssion's is, as was stated, she is only one-quarter human, and the rest of her is elf. She's like the reverse of Seles, in a sense. My theory is that elven magic is more powerful than half-elven magic, and the more of the individual's ancestry is elf, the more powerful the magic.

And the reason I chose to explain this in the author's note is that I don't plan on incorporating any of this useless crap into my story. Got it?


	7. Operation Hurricane

To Kill An Angel: A Fanfic by Gyppy

Timeline: Based 2 years after "Rising Shadow"

Summary: After Nebilim's shadow was sealed away once more, Lloyd thought that they could all finally enjoy peace. However, he could not have been more wrong...

Two old servants of Nebilim, half-elven females who had once worked for the treacherous Dark Lord, set out to stop Lloyd and his allies. Their first target: the Eternal Swordsman's father himself.

Pairings: LloydxColette and SheenaxZelos primarily, with hints at GenisxPresea, SelesxOC and minor KratosxRaine. There will also be some PronymaxYggdrasill.

Author's Note: This is my sequel to _Rising Shadow_. It's gonna be quite a bit different from my usual fanfiction, though.

First of all, in case you're too lazy to go back and read _Rising Shadow_ or if you just forgot the details, Abyssion was the main character in my previous fanfic, and Nebilim (the form you fight in the game) is his arch-rival. Abyssion has a younger brother, Leviathan, who falls for Seles (hence the SelesxOC). This fanfic focuses more around Lloyd, however. Colloyd and Sheelos will be the primary pairings.

And now, for the warnings. As with most T-rated fanfics on this site, there will be swearing, violence and some references to sex. Shoujo-ai references should end after this chapter, so the warning involving shoujo-ai will be eliminated. The rating may go up later if I decide to pull a _Lifelong Promises_ later on in the fic.

Also, as a side note, those of you who have read _Difficult Journey_ (_Rising Shadow_'s Kraine sidestory) will know that Kratos and Raine are officially a pairing in this storyline. However, there will be very few references to the pairing in the actual storyline. There may be a few Kraine moments, but I understand that there are many people who would hurt or even kill me for making Kraine references in a supposedly canon fic. I personally enjoy the pairing, and if you hate it, so be it. Don't be reading a Kraine supporter's fanfiction if you dislike the pairing. Got it?

As a side note, text like _'this'_ is in a flashback/dream or a voice in someone's head. Got it?

Thank you very much for the review(s).

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia, Namco, Final Fantasy or Square-Enix.

**Warning:** There's gonna be a bit of blood in this chapter. I don't think it's enough to warrant a rating raise, but I'll warn you about it anyways.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Chapter 6: Operation Hurricane

_Third-Person P.O.V._

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

After searching fruitlessly for days, the group finally decided to give up on the search for Camille and Katrina. The two minions had seemingly disappeared from Symphonia, and not even Heimdall had noted any activity involving the two.

Yggdrasill requested that they return to Vinheim first. Since the Book of Niflheim was most likely concealed somewhere in Tethe'alla, they could easily make plans on Derris-Kharlan and then hunt for the book themselves.

They ascended the Tower of Salvation once more, entering the depths of the castle known as Vinheim. Since it was late at night on Derris-Kharlan, everyone decided to take their leave for the night.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Yggdrasill had almost gotten used to the fact that Pronyma liked to stay with him. For some reason, he felt something about her that he couldn't quite place his finger on... but then again, everything about Pronyma was strange, and he just brushed it off as another feature of her strangeness.

However, this time he found himself drawn to her.

Silent thoughts ran through his mind as he moved close to the peculiar half-elf that had decided to room with him. He hated to admit it to himself, but even in the unusual looks she bore, he couldn't deny one fact...

She was beautiful.

At night, she wore her hair down, and it was actually quite short, compared to what he'd seen of it. It was colored a brilliant teal, like the sky blending in with the terrain of Symphonia. The device she wore about her was stowed away, perhaps in some odd corner of the dark room.

To Yggdrasill, this was nearly heaven. With the exception of one fact: Pronyma was freaky.

_Freaky as hell,_ he thought to himself as he closed in on her.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Camille drifted silently through the night, her ice feathers spread behind her in a brilliant display. The wind caught her wings and raised her even higher into the sky, where she could see far beyond her location with the angelic sight she was given.

Her comrade Katrina followed behind her, wings of fire spread and catching the wind even more easily. Katrina was usually shy, but she was also cunning, and was able to develop a good plan for any situation.

Camille motioned toward the massive structure that stood just south of Ozette. The two fallen angels flew to the tower to pay Mithos himself a visit.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Presea could sense something odd within the structure. She could not return to rest, however hard she tried; her restlessness woke Genis, who also perked up, smelling the dark mana.

The young axwoman slowly wandered out of the room, her brilliant wings spread and at ready, her hand ready to draw her weapon if need be. Genis followed, summoning his own wings, and clutching the Southern Cross fearfully.

Soon, the smell of the dark mana drifted throughout Vinheim. Everyone awoke, from the lower-class angels to the seraphim, and they all slowly rose from their rooms, heading toward the main room. The light mana from the angels seemed to counter the dark mana, but did nothing to stop its progression.

Everyone was apprehensive. The shadow was consuming Vinheim in a darkness unlike even Derris-Kharlan.

Then, Camille and Katrina appeared on the transporter. Camille took her sword of ice, and Katrina her sword of fire. Their wings retracted into their bodies as they prepared to fight.

**abc**

"Looks like we arrived here just in time," Camille said, glancing at her younger comrade. "We have to make this quick, else we'll be killed by them."

"Remember Nebilim's words," Katrina said. "Go after Kratos. Try and leave the others alive."

"Let's just kill them all," Camille said. "After all, fifty crystals are better than one, right?"

Mithos had, indeed, begun to amass his forces. The entire room was now filled with various warriors, from the lowly angel swordians to the brilliant leaders, the angel commanders. The seraphim all gazed upon their foes with pure hatred, realizing now that their dream could be fulfilled.

"Nice try, but you won't get your wish," Camille said. "I hope you've said your prayers!"

Raising her sword into the air, Katrina summoned forth four of the young Ktugachlings, two of the great Ktugach and one mighty Ktugachdon, all bearing the forms of fallen angels. The beasts began their attack, aiming for the weaker angels first before going after the stronger ones.

"I can assure you I've said mine," Lloyd commented slyly. "But have you said _yours_?"

Lloyd backed into a corner and began summoning a spell. His wings rose behind him, waving back and forth and creating their own breezes. His eyes were closed as he concentrated on the mana of the spell, one that could only be summoned by angels.

"_Ruler of Heaven, grant me thy power to end these corrupt lives!_"

Instead of the usual angelic spell, he brought down his two swords to touch the ground. The tips of the two swords began radiating their own light, with the Flamberge bearing the light of fire, and the Vorpal Sword bearing the light of ice.

"_Bring upon these weapons the light of judgment!_"

Both swords shone brightly, this time with a white light.

"**_Judgment Blade!_**"

Having finally loosed the spell, Lloyd launched himself into the air. Aiming himself at the Ktugachdon, he performed Rising Falcon, which ended with a brilliant flurry of angelic feathers and left the foe stunned. With grace unmatched by even his own father, Lloyd fought off the two Ktugach alone, and then took out two of the Ktugachlings.

After the Ktugach had faded, Lloyd once again turned to the Ktugachdon. The mighty beast turned to attack the Eternal Swordsman, but Lloyd was faster, leaping into the air and landing behind Ktugachdon. Once behind the foe, he performed Sonic Sword Rain, which brought down the foe quickly and somewhat painlessly.

Lloyd then turned to the remaining Ktugachlings. Both of them teamed up on him, launching Fire Balls at him and occasionally attacking with their broad tails. But Lloyd was faster; as the others continued to watch in awe, he performed Psi Tempest, following it up with a Sonic Thrust, and then Fierce Demon Fang, which knocked out the first Ktugachling. Hurricane Thrust and Twin Tiger Blade were all that were necessary to take down the second Ktugachling, and then Lloyd stood there, grinning triumphantly.

"Don't get too cocky yet," Camille said, smirking. "You look like you're pretty damn drained by all that has been going on."

Lloyd glanced at Camille, and without even prompting, began to cast a spell. At first it started off like his Judgment Blade, but then it slowly began to melt into a single point of light before him. Then, much to the surprise of the others, Lloyd casually sheathed the sword in his right hand and took the sphere of light in his hand.

Aiming it at Camille, he loosed Spiral Flare.

The attack shocked even Kratos; he had never before known a pureblooded human that could use magic without Aionis infusion. Everyone stared in awe at the Eternal Swordsman, who simply glanced back at Kratos and winked.

The Eternal Ring on Lloyd's finger glimmered with an eerie light... just like the mist of Derris-Kharlan that rose about them.

"Don't stop the attack," Katrina reminded. "We need to catch them off guard."

Camille nodded at her companion, and then began to rush at Lloyd, sword raised. The Eternal Swordsman seemed to be paying no attention, even though his wings were stiff and not even fluttering.

However, the fallen angel managed to encounter Lloyd's blade in the most unpleasant and painful way possible.

Lloyd had managed to impale Camille on the Flamberge; the sword's very tip protruded from her back, and with a simple flick he cast her aside. Turning to the body and leaning over, he wiped the blood off of the sword on Camille's clothing. Then, he calmly sheathed the sword, glancing at Katrina and practically _daring_ her to attack.

"You... you killed my..." Katrina could barely even manage to speak as her eyes drifted from Lloyd to Camille's body and back to Lloyd. She continued to communicate wordlessly, however.

Driven by pure rage, Katrina began summoning forth the mana of fire. Her sword flared up and began to blaze with an otherworldly fire, one which faded to the distant cyan of the Underworld's depths.

"**_EXPLOSION!_**"

The resulting chaos from the spell scattered most of the angels; seeing her window of opportunity, Katrina quickly escaped through the transporter. As everyone recovered, waiting for the smoke to clear, they looked around.

There was no sign of either fallen angel, with the exception of the burnt remnants of a body smoking on the ground.

Lloyd calmly walked over to the blade that Camille had once used. It had managed to survive the explosion, still surrounded in its aura of permanent chill. He investigated the sword carefully, scanning its edges and the flat of its blade.

"Afternoon Shadow," he said quietly, reading the words inscribed on the blade. "It seems that this sword is enchanted with a spell that keeps its current state. I think we should hang on to it."

"That sounds like a good idea," Raine said. "If we can perhaps uncover where Katrina went, we might be able to seal Niflheim."

"I think our key is already here," Kratos said, glancing over his shoulder, then turning back to an item he found on the floor.

Lloyd slowly walked over to Kratos and investigated the item he bore. It was a very old, stylized book with no name, and its cover was made of some bizarre material. Embedded in the front cover was a Cruxis Crystal, which seemed to glow with a peculiar, dark energy. The book could not be opened for some reason, but Kratos guessed that it was because it was sealed by magic.

Mithos gasped as he set eyes on the book.

"We don't need to find Katrina," the seraph said. "As a matter of fact, our key to sealing Niflheim is right here."

The Book of Niflheim now lay on the floor in front of Kratos. The Cruxis Crystal embedded in it glimmered with that evil light from so long ago...

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Author's Note: You know how Lloyd impaled Forcystus? There was no blood on the blade or on Forcystus in that scene. It's rather unrealistic, so I decided to merge this with a bit of realism, hence the blood warning.

My game got corrupted. -.- Now I have to start all over again... don't you _hate_ it when the stupid damn game pulls off a stupid stunt like that? It used to do it to me with FF:CC all the time... dammit...


	8. Destruction

To Kill An Angel: A Fanfic by Gyppy

Timeline: Based 2 years after "Rising Shadow"

Summary: After Nebilim's shadow was sealed away once more, Lloyd thought that they could all finally enjoy peace. However, he could not have been more wrong...

Two old servants of Nebilim, half-elven females who had once worked for the treacherous Dark Lord, set out to stop Lloyd and his allies. Their first target: the Eternal Swordsman's father himself.

Pairings: LloydxColette and SheenaxZelos primarily, with hints at GenisxPresea, SelesxOC and minor KratosxRaine. There will also be some PronymaxYggdrasill.

Author's Note: This is my sequel to _Rising Shadow_. It's gonna be quite a bit different from my usual fanfiction, though.

First of all, in case you're too lazy to go back and read _Rising Shadow_ or if you just forgot the details, Abyssion was the main character in my previous fanfic, and Nebilim (the form you fight in the game) is his arch-rival. Abyssion has a younger brother, Leviathan, who falls for Seles (hence the SelesxOC). This fanfic focuses more around Lloyd, however. Colloyd and Sheelos will be the primary pairings.

And now, for the warnings. As with most T-rated fanfics on this site, there will be swearing, violence and some references to sex. The rating may go up later if I decide to pull a _Lifelong Promises_ later on in the fic.

Also, as a side note, those of you who have read _Difficult Journey_ (_Rising Shadow_'s Kraine sidestory) will know that Kratos and Raine are officially a pairing in this storyline. However, there will be very few references to the pairing in the actual storyline. There may be a few Kraine moments, but I understand that there are many people who would hurt or even kill me for making Kraine references in a supposedly canon fic. I personally enjoy the pairing, and if you hate it, so be it. Don't be reading a Kraine supporter's fanfiction if you dislike the pairing. Got it?

As a side note, text like _'this'_ is in a flashback/dream or a voice in someone's head. Got it?

Thank you very much for the review(s).

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia, Namco, Final Fantasy or Square-Enix.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Chapter 7: Destruction

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Katrina's anger would not easily be appeased. She wandered about Symphonia, searching for things to destroy. The first thing she aimed for was Iselia; she burned that village to the ground and killed the survivors.

Next was Triet. After discovering it was difficult to destroy the city without coming under attack, she moved on to Izoold, which had the same difficulty. She took a boat across the ocean from Izoold, and eventually landed in Palmacosta, which she razed without fail.

Next, she headed north to Asgard. Finding nothing of use to destroy there, she turned to Luin, and burned it to the ground as well. After having taken out her demonic frustrations, she decided to return to Niflheim.

But she soon discovered that she had lost the book. Without the book, she'd have to go to her base near Flanoir to contact Nebilim.

In her mind, there were played repeatedly three simple words.

_Damn it all..._

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Yggdrasill glanced wordlessly at Pronyma, who had entered his room yet again. As much as he hated to admit it, he had taken a liking to her, and no longer minded her being in his room.

"You're late," the seraph said, his tone abnormally calm.

"I had some issues to take care of," Pronyma said. "Excuse me. I've been looking for you for quite some time."

"I see," Yggdrasill said. Then, he quietly allowed the ex-Desian to settle down next to him.

He stared at her. _It's amazing how good she looks with her hair down..._

He shook his head, trying to snap his mind out of it. But she caught on, and looked at him.

"I apologize for my insolence," Yggdrasill said. "It's just that... I've been meaning to ask you a question for some time now."

"As you wish," Pronyma stated calmly.

"Why do you keep staying in my room?" Yggdrasill asked, tilting his head. "I mean, you have your own perfectly good room you could stay in..."

Pronyma shuddered. She knew why she stayed in his room, but she didn't want to tell it to him yet... so she just remained perfectly silent, save for her heavy breathing.

"I'm sorry about that," Yggdrasill said. "I think I might've shocked the words out of you."

Calmly, the seraph reached over and touched Pronyma's face. The half-elf jerked, not having expected the gesture.

"I didn't mean to startle you," Yggdrasill said, frowning ever so slightly. "But I'm sure I've figured you out by now."

Pronyma continued to stare at Yggdrasill wordlessly, shaking her head slowly. _This is not true..._

Suddenly, Yggdrasill pulled her into a kiss, one that shocked her almost out of her wits. He noticed this, and quickly parted from her, more words being conveyed in his expression than his voice.

"I'm sorry," the seraph said. "I didn't mean to-"

"Enough of this," Pronyma finally said, sounding impatient. "Tell me. Why did you just pull that stunt on me?"

"Because I..." Yggdrasill hesitated, as was to be expected. "...because I... love you."

Pronyma seemed shocked for a second, and then smiled. "I don't think the feeling's one-sided either."

And with that, their lips met in a fierce, passionate kiss, one that made them fight for dominance over the other, one that burnt through the very heart and soul of both comrades.

When they parted at last, they both bore grins on their faces.

It had taken him four thousand years, but Yggdrasill had finally found love.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

"Dammit," Katrina said to herself. "I lost the Book of Niflheim. Now there's no way I can fulfill Lord Nebilim's wishes!"

"Don't worry, my dear," Nebilim's voice called from the projector. "I'm pretty sure those lowly angels won't be able to get their hands on the book anyhow."

Katrina looked at the projector, confused. "Why?"

"I've sealed it," Nebilim replied. "If they want to destroy the book, they have to go to the ground of the Tower of Destruction, where no mere human can go."

Suddenly, a smirk crossed Katrina's face. "And I'll meet them there when I do..." Then, her smirk faded. "Camille died in Vinheim. The human ran her through with the Flamberge."

"The human," Nebilim said to himself. "She must be talking about Lloyd..." Then, he looked up. "Execute Lloyd, if you can. Destroy the Flamberge and the Vorpal Sword. Camille's soul will be freed into Niflheim if you can do that."

"As you so desire, my lord," Katrina said. "I'll be the second highest ranking demon in Niflheim in no time at all!"

"Say what you wish," Nebilim said, laughing evilly. "I doubt you'll be able to surpass me."

"Surely I'll be able to surpass Haki," Katrina said. "If I can do that, will ya let me in?"

"Duh," Nebilim muttered. Katrina grinned.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Author's Note: Yggnyma rocks! Anyone who agrees, raise your hand! XD

**(nobody raises their hand)**

Gah, guess I'm the only Yggnyma fan out here... dammit...

Anyway... yeah. Sorry about the lack of updates. I got my hands on my old Gundam Wing DVDs again, and I'm watching them like crazy. Not to mention I'm rather blocked on this story. x.x

Haki is the Hell Knight, or at least my name for it. Y'know, that guy from the 10th floor of Niflheim. Damn, I hate that place...

Things are gonna get rough for the angels now. Ya think they'll be able to hold out?


	9. Deadly Confessions

To Kill An Angel: A Fanfic by Gyppy

Timeline: Based 2 years after "Rising Shadow"

Summary: After Nebilim's shadow was sealed away once more, Lloyd thought that they could all finally enjoy peace. However, he could not have been more wrong...

Two old servants of Nebilim, half-elven females who had once worked for the treacherous Dark Lord, set out to stop Lloyd and his allies. Their first target: the Eternal Swordsman's father himself.

Pairings: LloydxColette and SheenaxZelos primarily, with hints at GenisxPresea, SelesxOC and minor KratosxRaine. There will also be some PronymaxYggdrasill.

Author's Note: This is my sequel to _Rising Shadow_. It's gonna be quite a bit different from my usual fanfiction, though.

First of all, in case you're too lazy to go back and read _Rising Shadow_ or if you just forgot the details, Abyssion was the main character in my previous fanfic, and Nebilim (the form you fight in the game) is his arch-rival. Abyssion has a younger brother, Leviathan, who falls for Seles (hence the SelesxOC). This fanfic focuses more around Lloyd, however. Colloyd and Sheelos will be the primary pairings.

And now, for the warnings. As with most T-rated fanfics on this site, there will be swearing, violence and some references to sex. The rating may go up later if I decide to pull a _Lifelong Promises_ later on in the fic.

Also, as a side note, those of you who have read _Difficult Journey_ (_Rising Shadow_'s Kraine sidestory) will know that Kratos and Raine are officially a pairing in this storyline. However, there will be very few references to the pairing in the actual storyline. There may be a few Kraine moments, but I understand that there are many people who would hurt or even kill me for making Kraine references in a supposedly canon fic. I personally enjoy the pairing, and if you hate it, so be it. Don't be reading a Kraine supporter's fanfiction if you dislike the pairing. Got it?

As a side note, text like _'this'_ is in a flashback/dream or a voice in someone's head. Got it?

Thank you very much for the review(s).

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia, Namco, Final Fantasy or Square-Enix.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Chapter 8: Deadly Confessions

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

The Book of Niflheim was sealed; they would have to head to the ground that the Tower of Destruction once stood on to break the seal. So the group, consisting of Lloyd, Colette, Zelos, Sheena, Genis, Presea, Kratos, Raine, Mithos and Yggdrasill, headed out to break the seal, determined to destroy the book.

However, upon arrival at their destination, they were forced to face off against a dark dragon.

**abc**

Their foe greeted them with a stream of purple fire, which struck and knocked back Lloyd and Colette.

"This is gonna be tough," Lloyd commented, drawing his swords.

"Not necessarily," Raine said. "It's entirely possible we could bring it down in a matter of minutes. Just attack."

Lloyd complied, and loosed Fierce Demon Fang. Colette performed Hammer Rain, which caused the foe to flinch.

Zelos loosed Eruption, just as Sheena loosed Demon Seal. Both attacks struck true, and the dragon was dazed for a few seconds, but then got back up and retaliated by swinging its tail at the two, sending them flying.

Mithos loosed Holy Lance as Yggdrasill cast Prism Sword. However, the dragon managed to dodge the latter attack, and launched a stream of blazing purple fire at Yggdrasill, who ended up falling back, holding his arm.

Genis' Dreaded Wave and Presea's Eternal Devastation both connected; when the dragon managed to recover from the twin attack, it lunged forward, knocking Presea back. Genis fell back to assist Presea, but was caught by a stray flame when the dragon attacked Raine.

Kratos leaped in front of the dragon, and loosed Guardian; after the technique faded, he used Light Spear Cannon, followed by Lightning Blade, then Hurricane Thrust. After his attack, he performed Guardian again, and then Fierce Demon Fang, followed by Victory Light Spear, then Super Sonic Thrust. The dragon managed to attack and knock back Kratos before he could use another Guardian, so he simply decided to stay back and cast Grave while Raine cast First Aid on him.

The dragon turned to Sheena, and attacked her with a massive sweep of its tail. Zelos saw that Sheena wasn't doing so well, and felt the overpowering rage of darkness flow through his body, giving him a black aura. First he cast First Aid on Sheena, then began preparing another, very different spell.

"_I call upon the sentinel, the guardian of hearts and souls!_"

Zelos loosed the spell, and everyone gaped at him as a pink summoning circle appeared beneath him.

"_I summon thee! **Come... Verius!**_"

The foxlike Summon Spirit appeared out of the air, and launched a stream of brilliant pink light at the opposing dragon. After its attack finished, it vanished once again into thin air, disappearing in a brilliant pink sparkle.

The dragon finally collapsed, its strength overwhelmed by the summon. Zelos grinned triumphantly, holding his sword in the air.

"Wh...where did you..." Sheena was almost at a loss for words.

"I thought Verius said it made pacts with no one," Raine said.

"Don't ask me," Zelos said. "He was the one who requested the pact be made." He glanced at Sheena. "Does it really matter _how_ I gained summoning abilities?"

Sheena whispered something under her breath, something that sounded like words of gratitude.

"He's not one to summon," Genis muttered.

"Seriously," Lloyd said.

"Well, all's said and done," Zelos said. "So, are you gonna break the seal or what?"

As Kratos and Mithos stepped over to the ground with the book, Sheena looked at Zelos.

"I'll have to do something really drastic to thank you for that," the guardian user said. "I didn't realize you could summon."

"You don't really have to," Zelos said. "After all, you're my sweet, voluptuous hunny."

Sheena growled softly. "If you want, I can relinquish the pacts I have with the Summon Spirits from Tethe'alla. It would certainly be payback enough for you..."

"Hey, hey, hey," Zelos said. "Aren't you forgetting something here? You currently have pacts with the Summon Spirits. You can't just hand them over to me..."

"Celsius doesn't like me much," Sheena said. "She seems to take much more of a liking to you. We can do it later, okay?"

"Alright," Zelos said, grinning. "For my violent demonic banshee... and for the people of this world."

Sheena smirked and embraced Zelos softly. Zelos returned the embrace after a short while, closing his eyes.

He was in heaven.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

"Damn, damn, damn," Katrina muttered. "It's just one thing after another with these idiot Cruxis. Are we _ever_ gonna be able to save Niflheim?"

"They won't get past Haki," Nebilim said from the projector. "Even if they do, I doubt they could get past the Living Armor."

"They'll go straight to you," Katrina said. "I can't let that happen to you. I don't want Niflheim to be sealed either..."

"I'll destroy them," Nebilim said. "I'll make sure not a single one of them escapes from Niflheim. For your sake and for Camille's as well."

Katrina smiled for the first time in weeks. Absentmindedly playing with her sword, she nearly scorched her hair off, then decided it would be best to leave the sword alone. She sheathed it and headed back to her room.

Tomorrow would be a long day for the two of them.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Author's Note: Okay. First of all, Katrina never said she wanted to beat out Nebilim. She just wanted to beat out the Living Armor, which would mean surpassing Haki first.

Second of all, I've never seen the Living Armor, so I'll most likely just bypass that little aspect of Niflheim.

Third of all, sorry about the ridiculously short chapters lately. I'm kinda blocked on this story. x.x

And yes, Zelos can summon. Don't ask how. And before you say that, no, I did not steal the idea from another story. -.-


	10. Mithos, Coldhearted No More

To Kill An Angel: A Fanfic by Gyppy

Timeline: Based 2 years after "Rising Shadow"

Summary: After Nebilim's shadow was sealed away once more, Lloyd thought that they could all finally enjoy peace. However, he could not have been more wrong...

Two old servants of Nebilim, half-elven females who had once worked for the treacherous Dark Lord, set out to stop Lloyd and his allies. Their first target: the Eternal Swordsman's father himself.

Pairings: LloydxColette and SheenaxZelos primarily, with hints at GenisxPresea, SelesxOC and minor KratosxRaine. There will also be some PronymaxYggdrasill.

Author's Note: This is my sequel to _Rising Shadow_. It's gonna be quite a bit different from my usual fanfiction, though.

First of all, in case you're too lazy to go back and read _Rising Shadow_ or if you just forgot the details, Abyssion was the main character in my previous fanfic, and Nebilim (the form you fight in the game) is his arch-rival. Abyssion has a younger brother, Leviathan, who falls for Seles (hence the SelesxOC). This fanfic focuses more around Lloyd, however. Colloyd and Sheelos will be the primary pairings.

And now, for the warnings. As with most T-rated fanfics on this site, there will be swearing, violence and some references to sex. The rating may go up later if I decide to pull a _Lifelong Promises_ later on in the fic.

Also, as a side note, those of you who have read _Difficult Journey_ (_Rising Shadow_'s Kraine sidestory) will know that Kratos and Raine are officially a pairing in this storyline. However, there will be very few references to the pairing in the actual storyline. There may be a few Kraine moments, but I understand that there are many people who would hurt or even kill me for making Kraine references in a supposedly canon fic. I personally enjoy the pairing, and if you hate it, so be it. Don't be reading a Kraine supporter's fanfiction if you dislike the pairing. Got it?

As a side note, text like _'this'_ is in a flashback/dream or a voice in someone's head. Got it?

There'll be an interesting little tidbit popping up in this chapter. ;)

Thank you very much for the review(s).

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia, Namco, Final Fantasy or Square-Enix.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Chapter 9: Mithos, Coldhearted No More

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

The sun had started to set and the group didn't think it would be a good idea to enter Niflheim in their current state; they decided to stay overnight at Hima, which was quiet as usual.

However, there was one particular person who caught Mithos' eye.

A young half-elf girl, around thirteen years old, with brilliant sapphire hair that went down to her shoulder blades, and brilliant scarlet eyes that shone with the light of the moon. She wore a simple sky-blue dress and light pink shoes; however, there was a dagger sheathed at her waist, and she bore an Exsphere on her left hand, which was mounted in a simple Key Crest.

He thought she was beautiful.

In all those four thousand long, hard years in his life, Mithos had never acted on feelings of love toward a female who wasn't related to him. But this time, he couldn't help but be curious; this girl seemed nice enough, and she seemed to be doing nothing else, just sitting at the edge of the cliff.

**abc**

Mithos walked over to the girl and placed a hand on her shoulder. She jerked, startled by the sudden touch.

"Oh, sorry," she said, looking up at Mithos. The seraph couldn't help but blush, which reminded him unnervingly of Genis around Presea.

"Hello there," Mithos said quietly. He marveled at the fact that he hadn't stuttered.

The girl took in his features in the faint moonlight, then turned around and stood up. She smiled gently, staring directly into his eyes.

"My name is Karina Rifaan," she said. "What's yours?"

"I'm Mithos Yggdrasill," the young seraph replied. "Pleased to meet you."

"Mithos Yggdrasill," the girl named Karina repeated silently. "Isn't that the name of a hero from four thousand years ago?"

"Yes," Mithos replied simply. "I'm that same hero." And with that, he called upon his wings of mana, which shimmered and sparkled with a brilliant, prismatic light, colored all the different colors of a rainbow.

"Oh, wow!" Karina exclaimed, her face lighting up. "I never thought I'd get to see the hero Mithos with my own two eyes! And here he is, standing right in front of me!"

Mithos simply nodded, and held out his hand politely. In the glow from his wings, he could see that Karina was also blushing.

Karina reached up calmly and took his hand, seemingly savoring the touch. Her fingers drifted softly over his, tracing every single line and detail.

"I never thought Mithos the hero was just a kid," the young girl said. "It's amazing... simply amazing. You're only... what... fourteen?"

"That's my physical age," Mithos said. "I've been living for four thousand years... and what a long, hard life it's been."

"So, what brings you here to Hima?" Karina asked, allowing her hand to drift slowly back to her side.

"We're sealing Niflheim," Mithos replied. "We have to seal it away so Nebilim doesn't attack Symphonia again." Suddenly, his eyes darkened, and he started observing her body carefully. "Are you a servant of Nebilim by any chance?"

"Me, a servant of Nebilim?" Karina laughed, almost sounding annoyed. "You've got to be kidding me. Nebilim was the one who forced me to live out the rest of my days as a homeless traveler! For a while I'd been traveling with Chocolat from Palmacosta, but she decided to stay behind in Asgard for the time being." She suddenly looked sad. "Nebilim... nearly killed me. The memories still haunt me to this day..."

"Oh, my apologies," Mithos said, finding he had hit a nerve. "Well... my sister and a few of my other relatives were killed by Nebilim. Me and my older brother are the only ones still alive."

"Why did you think that?" Karina asked, her tone fading back to the gentle one it had been.

"Ah, just an enemy we encountered," Mithos replied. "A servant of Nebilim... her name was... Katrina. It sounds an awful lot like your name, don't you think?"

"That's what I said," Karina said, causing Mithos to jump back. "As soon as I heard Katrina Frezalon's name, I wanted to tear her and her girlfriend Camille right out of Niflheim!" Noticing that Mithos looked slightly afraid, she decided to lighten her tone. "The last I heard, she had headed to her base near Flanoir. She rather enjoys hanging out there and talking to her boss."

"Thank you," Mithos said. "I'm sorry for accusing you so wrongly." He held out his hand again.

Karina reached out and took his hand. A smile was on her face.

"You know, Mithos," Karina said, closing her eyes. "You look really handsome for your age." She opened her eyes again to see that Mithos was blushing. "Fit for a hero, don't you think?"

"Y-you're really p-pretty yourself," Mithos stuttered. He mentally cursed himself for letting control slip.

"Thank you," Karina said. "If you want, I'll accompany you..."

"No," Mithos said. "It's too dangerous. Exsphere or no, you just can't come along with us to Niflheim."

"I can use magic," Karina said. "And you're an angel, right? Surely you'd know some way to make _me_ an angel..."

"We're going to Niflheim tomorrow," Mithos said. "There wouldn't be time to pull it off. It's a really complicated process, you know."

Karina nodded softly, but then shook her head. "You don't have to seal Niflheim immediately. You can do it before you go." She grinned. "Of course, even if you can't make me an angel, I can still help you, okay?"

Mithos smiled. "I guess so. You can never have enough offense when you're in Niflheim. But I'll have to be careful you don't get hurt."

"I'm really glad to have met you," Karina said. "You're a nice person... aren't you?"

"Mostly," Mithos said, smirking. "Though I _can_ be quite the troublemaker when I want to be. Just ask my brother."

A smirk crossed Karina's face as well, and she turned to walk back to the inn. However, before she left, she waved a final goodbye to Mithos.

"Thank you, Karina," Mithos said softly, his voice carried on the wind. "Thank you so much for your help."

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

"Dammit," Katrina muttered. "They have another little friend of theirs that joined up in Hima."

"What's her name?" Nebilim asked.

"Karina Rifaan," Katrina replied. "She seems to have developed a bit of a bond with Mithos. She says she'll accompany the group on their trip to Niflheim."

"Ah, yes, Karina." Nebilim practically spat the last word. "She's gotten away from me on so many occasions... first fleeing from me when I was about to kill her, then saving that brat Chocolat from certain death in Palmacosta!"

"I'll do anything for you," Katrina said. "It's a simple matter of figuring out how to get to Niflheim."

"It's really quite simple," Nebilim said. "I'll tell you how."

A transporter materialized out of thin air right in front of Karina. She almost jumped back, but then calmly stepped into the transporter.

She materialized in the bizarre world of Niflheim; the winding paths were constructed of some bizarre substance, radiating the same cyan that filled the background. Thick mist rose heavily about the place, obscuring everything to the eyes of one with unfit sight.

Nebilim floated down right beside her, bearing his own demonic wings.

"I'll take you to the third floor," the demon lord said. "It should only take a few seconds."

Katrina suddenly felt herself being lifted into the air; there was a circular platform on the floor she was on, and it was constructed in a much more intricate way. It was almost like a battle arena.

"And I do what here?" Katrina asked, looking at her superior.

"Simply wait here," Nebilim replied. "Try and stop them if they get too close."

"Acknowledged," Katrina said simply. She watched Nebilim float away, presumably to the final floor.

_Those miserable creatures won't get past me,_ she thought. _The Living Armor may be off-duty for now, but I'm sure the guard in its place is equally powerful._

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Author's Note: Yep, you guessed it. MithosxOC. As I was writing that last part, I got the music from Niflheim stuck in my head. Damn that stupid place... **(grumble)**

And yes, the Living Armor is off-duty. ):-)

In case you're wondering, I'll most likely be updating my other fanfiction when I get randomly inspired. Right now I'm caught up with a few things in life, and I've been procrastinating for WAY too long (damn school!), so don't expect me to update nearly as often as before. -.-


	11. Descent Into Darkness

To Kill An Angel: A Fanfic by Gyppy

Timeline: Based 2 years after "Rising Shadow"

Summary: After Nebilim's shadow was sealed away once more, Lloyd thought that they could all finally enjoy peace. However, he could not have been more wrong...

Two old servants of Nebilim, half-elven females who had once worked for the treacherous Dark Lord, set out to stop Lloyd and his allies. Their first target: the Eternal Swordsman's father himself.

Pairings: LloydxColette and SheenaxZelos primarily, with hints at GenisxPresea, SelesxOC and minor KratosxRaine. There will also be some PronymaxYggdrasill.

Author's Note: This is my sequel to _Rising Shadow_. It's gonna be quite a bit different from my usual fanfiction, though.

First of all, in case you're too lazy to go back and read _Rising Shadow_ or if you just forgot the details, Abyssion was the main character in my previous fanfic, and Nebilim (the form you fight in the game) is his arch-rival. Abyssion has a younger brother, Leviathan, who falls for Seles (hence the SelesxOC). This fanfic focuses more around Lloyd, however. Colloyd and Sheelos will be the primary pairings.

With the chapter "Mithos, Coldhearted No More", there has been a slight introduction of MithosxOC. This will most likely show up more prominently later on.

And now, for the warnings. As with most T-rated fanfics on this site, there will be swearing, violence and some references to sex. The rating may go up later if I decide to pull a _Lifelong Promises_ later on in the fic.

Also, as a side note, those of you who have read _Difficult Journey_ (_Rising Shadow_'s Kraine sidestory) will know that Kratos and Raine are officially a pairing in this storyline. However, there will be very few references to the pairing in the actual storyline. There may be a few Kraine moments, but I understand that there are many people who would hurt or even kill me for making Kraine references in a supposedly canon fic. I personally enjoy the pairing, and if you hate it, so be it. Don't be reading a Kraine supporter's fanfiction if you dislike the pairing. Got it?

As a side note, text like _'this'_ is in a flashback/dream or a voice in someone's head. Got it?

Thank you very much for the review(s).

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia, Namco, Final Fantasy or Square-Enix.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Chapter 10: Descent Into Darkness

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

The next morning, Lloyd was introduced to Karina. Mithos seemed bizarrely uncomfortable around her, and Lloyd guessed that it was just a natural reaction to something about her.

He never suspected the massive crush that the young seraph had on her.

They traveled to the ground of the Tower of Destruction. There, the Cruxis Crystals of many people floated in the air, lighting up the ground with an ethereal reddish light.

As soon as the Book was opened, the transporter leading to Niflheim appeared in the center of the crater. The group stepped into the transporter, with Karina moving last of all.

Unknown to them, Abyssion and Allurya, who had slipped into the ground, also disappeared into the transporter soon after they did.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Niflheim was a bizarre and ethereal place. The cyan-colored mist that rose about the group obscured their vision considerably, almost like a fog. However, they could still see the corners of the platform they were on, with the peculiar and intricate structures rising about it and the ice-like sheet beneath them wound between those corners. There were pathways leading out into the mist, and anything beyond about halfway through those pathways was obscured by the dense fog.

"Whoa, this is creepy," Lloyd commented, looking around. "I sure hope we don't have to stay here long. It's giving me the chills just thinking about it."

Karina seemed unafraid, much to the surprise of the group. She actually seemed quite familiar with this place.

"I've been here before," the girl said, earning a couple of stares. "Nebilim tried to force me into being taken by a Cruxis Crystal of fallen angels. They're called Crystals of the Underworld... quite a fitting name, don't you think? Of course, that's what he called them around me... around his _servants_," she practically spat that word, "he just calls them Cruxis Crystals." She looked down at the sheet of unmelting ice beneath her. "Damned idiots..."

"Well, we're not going to get anywhere brooding about it here," Lloyd said. "We should just get this over with so we can seal this place. I hate it already." The mist fell upon his skin, and a sudden chill ran through his body.

"Follow me," Karina said, turning to the pathway that led to their right. "I know this place like the back of my hand."

The group walked down the dark corridor, faintly noticing the short walls that stood between them and certain death by collapsing into the forbidden anamnesis. The pathway was narrow, and the mist seemed even more intense floating about it, so intense that they could hardly even see a yard in front of their face. The entire group had to walk in a straight line, and Mithos, who was in the back, could not even see Karina.

Within his mind, he felt quite glad he couldn't. That girl was just _magnetic_.

At the end of the pathway, they came upon another platform of similar appearance; however, this one was much wider. The dense fog lightened as they stepped out onto the platform; in one corner of the platform, there stood a bizarrely constructed candle, which was unlit. It floated in midair, much to the surprise of those who hadn't been here.

Lloyd calmly walked over to the candle, and using a small ball of fire he conjured up using his mana, he lit it. The flame burned brightly, seemingly burning away at the mist.

The smell of the flame seemed almost foreign to Lloyd. Even though he had barely been here a few minutes, his sense of smell seemed to have been burned away, and as soon as he inhaled the smoke, he could feel the sense returning. To him, it was a most bizarre and somewhat uncomfortable sensation.

Lloyd returned to the group, his boots making a bizarre clinking against the floor of the platform. Though neither surface was metal, it sounded much like the sound of metal against metal... and when it reached the ears of those in the group, they looked around in wonder.

They hadn't really noticed the sound coming down the pathway. But now that they actually focused on what was around them, they could clearly hear the distinctive clinking. Even Karina seemed surprised; of course, she'd never had time to really pay attention to what was going on the last time she was here, so it was only natural that she'd feel confused.

It was then that Abyssion managed to catch up to the group.

"Oh, hello," Lloyd said, waving his hand at the dark seraph. "I didn't realize you'd followed us here."

"Can't just leave a friend behind, now can I?" Abyssion said, smirking.

Allurya walked up beside him, and even at around half his height looked formidable.

Their reunion was interrupted by the cry of something demonic; it was a sound that pierced the ears of the seraphim, making them feel unimaginable pain. Those who did not bear Cruxis Crystals felt perfectly fine; of course, in this group at that moment, there was only one.

"Yes, this is definitely Niflheim," Karina said, looking concerned at the pain of her friends. "Those creatures are quite common here. Thankfully, they only come around every so often, and they're quite easy to fight off if need be."

Karina drew her dagger and ran off in the direction of the candle. Suddenly, out of the mist, a massive, grotesque lifeform appeared, half plant and half skeleton. Vines wrapped around the mess of bones at its base; from the top of those vines grew a bizarre flower, and on either side of the flower was a winglike structure, like that of a dragon.

"Wow, I never knew plants had voices," Lloyd commented, smirking. He drew his swords, and they quickly lit up with the burning auras of their respective elements.

"Damn straight," Mithos said, drawing his own sword. The blade was curved much like that of a saber, but it had two edges, like a longsword.

"Plantix, found exclusively in the Forbidden Anamnesis," Presea stated in her classic monotone, taking up her own weapon. "Weak to fire and resistant to earth. Probability of success is ninety-five percent."

Genis grinned evilly. "Weak to fire, huh? Well, I guess it won't be sticking around for long." He took a moment to summon mana, then loosed a spell. "**_Eruption!_**"

The floor beneath the foe exploded in a burning dome of lava, spraying hot and molten rock everywhere. When the attack had faded, Plantix was significantly weakened, though still able to fight.

The creature brought up one of its tentacle-vines, and smacked away the offending Presea. It then let loose a bizarre attack which struck everyone in the group, pelting them with insect-like creatures.

Zelos grinned as he brought his eyes upon the opponent in front of them. He started summoning mana from the air around him, concentrating it into a fire spell.

"_Burn, baby!_"

Sheena glared at him as he loosed the spell, obviously annoyed with his cheerful display.

"**_Flame Lance!_**"

That time, a number of people glanced at Zelos confusedly, as a spear of pure fire fell from the sky and impaled Plantix. Seconds later, the blade exploded, finishing off the grotesque opponent once and for all.

"My abilities have been enhanced by the Cruxis Crystal," Zelos explained. "It's really not that difficult to figure out. Probably the same reason Lloyd can use magic."

"I always thought it was because of the Eternal Ring," Kratos said, glancing at his son. "Well, anyway, we shouldn't stick around here for long." He turned to Karina. "Karina, please do lead us to the next platform."

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Author's Note: Ooh, this is starting to get _creepy_. The Forbidden Anamnesis attacks again! Ooh, I sure hope I spelled that right... -.-

I don't remember Plantix's weaknesses, resistances or attacks. It's been a long time since I encountered it. And yes, I know it appears in the Latheon Gorge in the game, but heck, I'm trying to be different. Y'know? Besides, it looks pretty damn close to a demonic or undead creature to me...

Generally, I prefer Flame Lance over Eruption, so don't expect me to be using the latter much. It's harder to describe and not as cool.

It's been a while since I entered Niflheim... I sure hope I described everything right. I do, however, remember that the floors were really creepy, like ice or something.

Mithos has a sword. Remember he was the Eternal **Sword**sman? Huh? HUH?

...yep, you can smack me now. **(braces self for smacking)**


	12. The First Battle

To Kill An Angel: A Fanfic by Gyppy

Timeline: Based 2 years after "Rising Shadow"

Summary: After Nebilim's shadow was sealed away once more, Lloyd thought that they could all finally enjoy peace. However, he could not have been more wrong...

Two old servants of Nebilim, half-elven females who had once worked for the treacherous Dark Lord, set out to stop Lloyd and his allies. Their first target: the Eternal Swordsman's father himself.

Pairings: LloydxColette and SheenaxZelos primarily, with hints at GenisxPresea, SelesxOC and minor KratosxRaine. There will also be some PronymaxYggdrasill.

Author's Note: This is my sequel to _Rising Shadow_. It's gonna be quite a bit different from my usual fanfiction, though.

First of all, in case you're too lazy to go back and read _Rising Shadow_ or if you just forgot the details, Abyssion was the main character in my previous fanfic, and Nebilim (the form you fight in the game) is his arch-rival. Abyssion has a younger brother, Leviathan, who falls for Seles (hence the SelesxOC). This fanfic focuses more around Lloyd, however. Colloyd and Sheelos will be the primary pairings.

With the chapter "Mithos, Coldhearted No More", there has been a slight introduction of MithosxOC. This will most likely show up more prominently later on.

And now, for the warnings. As with most T-rated fanfics on this site, there will be swearing, violence and some references to sex. The rating may go up later if I decide to pull a _Lifelong Promises_ later on in the fic.

Also, as a side note, those of you who have read _Difficult Journey_ (_Rising Shadow_'s Kraine sidestory) will know that Kratos and Raine are officially a pairing in this storyline. However, there will be very few references to the pairing in the actual storyline. There may be a few Kraine moments, but I understand that there are many people who would hurt or even kill me for making Kraine references in a supposedly canon fic. I personally enjoy the pairing, and if you hate it, so be it. Don't be reading a Kraine supporter's fanfiction if you dislike the pairing. Got it?

As a side note, text like _'this'_ is in a flashback/dream or a voice in someone's head. Got it?

Thank you very much for the review(s).

**I warn you of violence and blood in this chapter.**

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia, Namco, Final Fantasy or Square-Enix.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Chapter 11: The First Battle

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Slowly, the group wound through the dark floors of the Underworld. The winding pathways, each one leading to a new and even more treacherous platform, floated in a seemingly endless aura of dark mist, which seemed to shift colors according to the floor they were on. When the mist was of its classic cyan color, they found nothing but a few measly enemies hindering their steps. When the mist about them changed to an eerie blue, their path was obscured by intricate structures that, upon being touched with any sort of fire, would immediately light up and reveal the next pathway. When the mist seemed like clouds of pure blood, that was the signal to be careful - the enemies on that floor would be difficult to defeat, and defeating all of them would reveal the entrance to the next floor.

They passed through the third floor, where the mist about them was red. After their passage through that floor, they came upon a peculiar platform with a very different appearance.

And from the other end of that platform, an old nemesis stared back at them, her crimson eyes blazing with anger.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Katrina's red-hot eyes glowed as brilliantly as the crystal upon her chest. This was no Cruxis Crystal she bore; it was a Crystal of the Underworld, the trademark sign of all fallen angels.

"You've come again, I see," the fallen angel said bitterly. "Remember the last time you came? You foolish humans had no choice but to give up your fight!"

"That's not true," Lloyd said. "You attacked on your own will. You were the one who wanted to kill Kratos. You were the one who attacked Vinheim in the middle of the night, nearly fifteen times, without any prior warning!" He growled. "And you won't get away with taking any more lives!"

"You can think what you like of me," Katrina said, a smirk falling upon her face. "But you're not going to accomplish your own foolish goal. I will kill you long before Nebilim has to!"

"Camille is dead," Kratos stated. "You no longer have any connection to this place. And yet you still listen to Nebilim?"

"You are foolish creatures," Katrina said. "You refused to give up your lives in exchange for the world. Since you so stubbornly fought against Camille, Nebilim and myself, you have single-handedly torn the world's fate out of your hands."

"Say what you like," Zelos said. "But an _illegitimate child_ like you isn't even worthy of patrolling the streets of Niflheim."

Katrina snarled at the insult. "How dare you-"

"Now, now, don't get rough," Zelos interrupted. "It's true that you came about through rather undesirable means. And I won't lie that you got pretty damn high in rank for a demon. But I'll also tell you one more thing." He drew his sword, aiming it at her and smirking. "You don't stand a chance against all of us."

Mithos drew his own sword, its shimmering blade glowing in the light of the candles that burned at each corner of the arena. "You may have beaten us once, but I'll be _damned_ if you can beat us twice!"

"Members of Cruxis have no right to say things like that," Katrina said confidently. "All I need to do is remove your Cruxis Crystal and you'll be powerless."

The shimmering blade of the Excalibur was drawn from its sheath, Abyssion glaring at his foe defiantly. "If there is one thing we do not need in this world, it's stubborn people like you who refuse to listen to the guardian of the world."

Kratos drew the Last Fencer, its elegantly forged blade slicing through the air of Niflheim. "Are you ready?"

"Go ahead, bring it on," Katrina said, drawing her own sword and watching as her opponents took up their weapons. "You won't _live_ to regret your decision!"

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Quite suddenly and unexpectedly, Katrina loosed a Raging Mist spell that covered the ground of the entire group. Karina, whose eyes were closed in concentration, was barely affected by the spell, but Mithos, who was standing beside her, found himself falling back at the intensity of the flame.

Not one to give up, Mithos loosed Demonic Chaos. The triple shockwaves struck Katrina with blinding force, knocking her back momentarily. The demon responded by loosing Spiral Flare, which cut through Mithos like a hot knife through butter.

Seeing that Mithos was injured, Raine cast a quick healing spell on him, then loosed Holy Lance. At the same time, Karina cast Spread, which launched the foe a considerable distance into the air.

Katrina's Air Blade struck Lloyd square in the chest, throwing him against a wall violently. He struggled to get up, and once he'd succeeded, he rushed at Katrina and performed Omega Tempest.

Not one to be left out, Zelos used his own Judgment Blade spell. He rushed over to Katrina and used Light Spear Cannon, followed by Super Lightning Blade, then Hell Pyre. Then, he ran back and cast Spread, which caused Katrina to fall back for quite a span of time.

Sheena's Demon Seal caught Katrina off-guard. It blew her hard against a wall, and the guardian user quickly followed up her attack with Mirage Seal Pinion, then Spirit Seal. The latter did very little to Katrina, but it drained some of her mana, making her slow down for a short period of time.

Katrina got up again, only to be caught by Yggdrasill's Prism Sword. Brushing the attack off, she loosed Dark Judgment, which tore into everyone on the battlefield and forced most of them to fall back.

Kratos was by far the worst injured, with a gash running down his back and numerous slash wounds on his arms and legs. Lloyd was also badly affected, with a patch where his skin had been ripped clean off, and numerous other injuries looking like those that could only be caused by a sword. Mithos was holding his left arm, which had three parallel slash wounds that looked as if they'd been caused by claws, and he also had a gash on his right shoulder and a much smaller one across his forehead. Yggdrasill was reeling, with a slash wound on his chest and three on his back, not to mention the extremely painful wound that cut through his right leg. Raine had managed to get off lucky, and she was barely affected; however, there was a significant slash wound running the length of her left arm. She made a mental note to treat that profusely after the battle.

Genis was not as lucky as his older sister. He was battered and bruised to an extent, with a few slash wounds running across his arms, and one across his left leg. Sheena had fallen to the ground, bleeding profusely from a wound on her right arm. Zelos had managed to avoid most of the dark blades, but there was one rather grotesque slash wound that ran the length of his back, from his right shoulder to his left leg. Abyssion could feel a stinging sensation as he gripped his sword, realizing there must've been a wound on the inside of his hand; however, he also bore other signs of injury, including identical slash marks on his legs. Colette was gripping a bleeding shoulder, and there was a wound that was becoming more and more apparent by the second on the back of her neck, though it had obviously not sliced through anything vital. Presea had been thrown into a wall, knocked unconscious, with a rather apparent slash wound on her right leg.

Allurya and Karina had managed to avoid harm. Mithos glared at the two young girls, thinking, _Lucky them._

"That was pretty good," Lloyd panted, leaning on his swords for support. "I'll have to admit you're good at fighting dirty." Then, suddenly, he started glowing with a renewed energy, and his wings exploded from his back. "But how about fighting _clean_?"

Lloyd made a mental note to smack himself for that pun later as he summoned forth water mana from the walls of the ethereal realm. Sheathing the sword in his right hand, he started calling upon the spell he was casting, and the Eternal Ring glowed brilliantly against the bizarre landscape.

"_Flood this foe's soul and drown their true power in thy everlasting oceanic vortex!_"

He let the spell fly, as everyone gaped at him.

"**_Tidal Wave!_**"

The entire arena filled with a brilliant vortex of water. The wounds of those who had been injured were cleaned out and restored by the water, while the enemy was battered mercilessly by powerful waves within the whirlpool.

Once the water had faded, Kratos gazed at Lloyd in awe. _I didn't realize his power would make him able to cast advanced spells..._

"Damn you, human!" Katrina shouted, raising her sword. "I will _not_ be outdone by the likes of you!"

The fallen angel rushed forward and brought up her sword. As she swung it down, it was caught in the aura of cold that radiated from the Vorpal Sword as it was brought up to block the attack.

"You little brat..." Katrina muttered, trying to force the blade down.

"Eat this!" Lloyd shouted, swinging the Flamberge down.

He ran the blade right through her, its tip coming out the other end.

But when he withdrew it, there was not even a drop of blood on it. There was no mark on Katrina's body.

"I thought you knew the laws of fighting," the fallen angel said, smirking. "Fire is resistant to fire, and it is also effective against ice!" She brought down her sword again, and it once again collided with the Vorpal Sword.

"Ice is also effective against fire," Lloyd said. "Neither of us are gaining ground here anyhow, so I guess I'll just have to force my way through."

Katrina's eyes widened as she realized what Lloyd was about to do. He was summoning mana before him, and from what it looked, it was not going to be a small spell.

"**_Gravity Well!_**"

Lloyd jumped back just in time to avoid the crushing black hole that was created around Katrina. It seemed to shake and pulsate with its hidden fury, and the ground beneath it shook, causing a mild earthquake to add to the chaos within.

When the attack faded, Katrina staggered back, looking rather defeated. However, she was not ready to give up yet.

"**_Atlas!_**"

Lloyd was suddenly caught up in a whirling fury of blades, composed of wind and water, that surrounded him and then tore at his body with the fury of a thousand longswords. He fell back to the ground, badly injured but still alive.

Karina didn't look too happy herself. She started calling upon mana for a spell, remembering her enemy's strengths and weaknesses.

"**_Ground Dasher!_**"

The floor beneath Katrina suddenly displayed a mark much like the fault line's fissure in an earthquake. The ground started vibrating, first lightly, then with an intensity unmatched by anything the demon had felt before. The shaking was so intense it forced her to fall back, but even when the spell faded, she still decided she wasn't over with the group.

"**_Thunder Arrow!_**"

Lightning encircled Kratos, and he was struck with what seemed like a million searing volts of pure electricity, caught up in an intense tempest of static that overrode his nervous system and knocked him unconscious.

"Give up now, or face your death," Katrina said, her willpower having increased so that she wasn't running on pure energy anymore. "I think it'd be best if you did the former, since I'm sure you people wouldn't exactly appreciate dying."

_That does it,_ Karina thought. _She's hurt Mithos, and she's damn well gonna pay for it._

The young mage began summoning forth mana for a spell.

_She's gonna pay with her stinking, pathetic, worthless **life!**_

Karina held out her hand and prepared to loose her spell.

"**_FREEZE LANCER!_**"

The pure fury that radiated from Karina almost caused Mithos to pass out. A circle appeared in the air above Karina, and from it there flew numerous spears of ice, slicing through flesh and drawing blood with their sheer fury. The unrelenting blizzard continued to pelt Katrina for nearly a minute, and then it finally faded, Karina's rage having been spent.

"That... was nice," Katrina said in a voice barely above a whisper. "You're... impressively strong... but you won't defeat me next time..."

With that, the fallen angel called upon her wings and cloaked herself in their whirling feathers of fire. She soared up to unknown heights, ascending the floors of Niflheim.

"Dammit..." Karina muttered, her spent rage coming back in full force. "I could've killed her right there... but no, I just _had_ to hold off... what is wrong with me?" She lifted her head to the nonexistent sky and screamed her rage into the depths of Niflheim. "WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?"

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Author's Note: Wooh, things are starting to get krezzeh from here on out.

I wish Zelos knew Spread in the game. It's such a cool spell, y'know? Ah, well, whatever. There's nothing I can do about it... -.-

And yep, you did read that right. Niflheim goes up, not down. Don't ask _me_ why, _I_ sure as hell don't know why I decided to make it like that. -.-'


	13. The Second Battle

To Kill An Angel: A Fanfic by Gyppy

Timeline: Based 2 years after "Rising Shadow"

Summary: After Nebilim's shadow was sealed away once more, Lloyd thought that they could all finally enjoy peace. However, he could not have been more wrong...

Two old servants of Nebilim, half-elven females who had once worked for the treacherous Dark Lord, set out to stop Lloyd and his allies. Their first target: the Eternal Swordsman's father himself.

Pairings: LloydxColette and SheenaxZelos primarily, with hints at GenisxPresea, SelesxOC and minor KratosxRaine. There will also be some PronymaxYggdrasill and MithosxOC.

Author's Note: This is my sequel to _Rising Shadow_. It's gonna be quite a bit different from my usual fanfiction, though.

First of all, in case you're too lazy to go back and read _Rising Shadow_ or if you just forgot the details, Abyssion was the main character in my previous fanfic, and Nebilim (the form you fight in the game) is his arch-rival. Abyssion has a younger brother, Leviathan, who falls for Seles (hence the SelesxOC). This fanfic focuses more around Lloyd, however. Colloyd and Sheelos will be the primary pairings.

With the chapter "Mithos, Coldhearted No More", there has been a slight introduction of MithosxOC. This will most likely show up more prominently later on.

And now, for the warnings. As with most T-rated fanfics on this site, there will be swearing, violence and some references to sex. The rating may go up later if I decide to pull a _Lifelong Promises_ later on in the fic.

Also, as a side note, those of you who have read _Difficult Journey_ (_Rising Shadow_'s Kraine sidestory) will know that Kratos and Raine are officially a pairing in this storyline. However, there will be very few references to the pairing in the actual storyline. There may be a few Kraine moments, but I understand that there are many people who would hurt or even kill me for making Kraine references in a supposedly canon fic. I personally enjoy the pairing, and if you hate it, so be it. Don't be reading a Kraine supporter's fanfiction if you dislike the pairing. Got it?

As a side note, text like _'this'_ is in a flashback/dream or a voice in someone's head. Got it?

Thank you very much for the review(s).

There might be a bit of blood in this chapter, so be on the lookout.

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia, Namco, Final Fantasy or Square-Enix.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Chapter 12: The Second Battle

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

The group had to endure three more levels of pure hell as they traversed Niflheim. The fourth floor of Niflheim saw the blood vapor of those who had been killed in ruthless acts by Nebilim; the fifth floor bore the bizarre swirls of icy mist that represented the cold, dark heart of Nebilim; the sixth floor saw the oceanic breath of Aryvani and its fallen angels.

Between the sixth and seventh floors of Niflheim, there was yet another sprawling battle arena, with a prismatic floor of most bizarre colors.

**abc**

"Who are you who dare to cross my path?" the creature screeched, its voice sounding like the grinding of nails against slate.

Lloyd winced as he heard this noise; to his angelic ears, it made things that much worse.

The creature resembled a massive phantom knight; it rode atop what was clearly a miasma-enhanced velocidragon, and its body closely resembled a skeletal creature, bearing a rippling cloak and heavy armor.

"Give me your name, and I shall give you mine," the Eternal Swordsman retaliated.

"You are certainly a stubborn human," the creature said. "I am the Hell Knight... my name is Haki. I desire no more than to kill you and your pathetic companions!"

"Go ahead and try," Lloyd said, drawing his swords. "I'll take you down right where you stand!"

A long, purple, glowing blade materialized in Haki's right hand; on its left arm, there materialized a bright blue, glowing shield, seemingly composed of the same mist that rose about them.

"I'll take you down, all of you," Haki screeched. "I'll kill you right where you stand!"

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Lloyd brought up his sword to block an attack, but Haki's blade seemed to go right through the sword and impaled Lloyd. Slowly, the blade was raised into the air, Lloyd sitting on its very tip, floating in midair. Suddenly and unexpectedly, he summoned forth his wings and threw himself off the blade, landing a few feet away.

Raine turned and cast Healing Circle on Lloyd; the swordsman made no attempt to move out of the circle's aura, but instead chose to stay where he was and summon Judgment Blade. He then followed up with Demonic Chaos, which struck Haki dead-on.

Yggdrasill sneaked up behind Haki and began casting a spell, his eyes closed in concentration as his wings began dancing.

"_Swords of heavenly light, I call upon thy power to unleash thy fury upon this corrupt soul!_"

The seraph's wings exploded in a flurry of feathers as he loosed the spell.

"**_Prism Feathers!_**"

Though he seemed to be unharmed, Yggdrasill's wings had completely detached from him; the feathers rushed at Haki and, in a brilliant display of flashing light and dazzling, prismatic explosions, tore at the foe, drawing blood with each intense slice. The feathers danced this way and that, glistening with prismatic light that was completely different from their usual purple. Once the feathers had finished their display, they returned to their host, simply settling against Yggdrasill's back again as if nothing had happened.

Haki turned around and unleashed a massive slice upon Yggdrasill; luckily, the angel was able to block serious damage with his wings.

Apparently, Lloyd's Judgment Blade was still active; he rushed over to Haki and performed Rising Falcon, followed almost immediately by Demonic Chaos, then Sonic Sword Rain, and finally Tiger Rage. However, the Eternal Swordsman wasn't done yet; his next attack consisted of a boosted Hurricane Thrust, followed by Demonic Circle, then Raging Beast, and finally he ended it all with Sword Rain: Alpha.

By then, the augmentation effects of Judgment Blade had faded; Lloyd leaped back to dodge Haki's blade, then launched Double Demon Fang and took to the air.

Haki looked ticked off. _Extremely_ ticked off. The velocidragon it was riding took a snap at Kratos, then Haki itself brought down its sword upon the seraph. Had it not been for Raine's rather apt warning, Kratos would've been sliced clean in half... and he was able to dodge by barely a millimeter, bearing a singe mark on his right glove.

And now Kratos was the one who was ticked off.

He raised the Last Fencer in the air and seemingly blindly charged Haki. Sticking the sword in the velocidragon's side, he used it to vault over Haki, then stabbed the mount in the other side. He then called upon his wings and launched an almost instantaneous Judgment, which caught Haki off-guard.

However, the Hell Knight was not ready to give up. Its next target was Karina.

The massive, purple blade lashed out at Karina, striking her and blowing her back before she even had a chance to move. Once Haki saw she was down, it took another swipe at her, followed almost immediately by another.

A few more strokes later, it had engraved a peculiar emblem on her skin. It closely resembled the Derris Emblem.

"Damn you..." Karina managed to mutter, clutching her damaged stomach. "I'll take you down... right where you stand... in the end..."

_There'll be no need,_ Mithos thought. _I'll ensure that Haki is destroyed... not just killed, but completely, utterly, mercilessly **destroyed**._

Raine managed to patch up Karina's injuries, but the scars still remained. Most prominent was the engraving of the Derris Emblem on her.

Mithos turned to glance at the scar, grinning. Then, he turned to face Haki, closing his eyes.

"_Divine light of judgment, come forth and destroy all that stands in thy path! Bring an end to the corruption placed before me!_"

Mithos loosed the spell as his rainbow wings burst forth.

"**_Angelic Chaos!_**"

A glowing circle of light mana appeared beneath the foe; it spread out far and wide, glimmering with purely angelic light. Slowly, the entire battlefield was covered with glowing circles, like those in Indignation Judgment; however, there was no light between them, just the brilliant, sparkling rings. Even the mist in the background had turned to pure black, seemingly to counteract the magnificent, shining light. Suddenly, without warning, the entire battlefield filled with brilliant, rapid flashes of angelic light, lighting up randomly across the circles of light and sending their chaotic fires high into the mist of Niflheim. The air chilled for a brief second, then everything faded to pure white as a tornado of light mana whirled around the foe, filling up with its own brilliant angelic feathers.

After the light had become but a distant memory, Mithos sat on the ground, panting. There was no trace of Haki; not even a scrap of cloth remained as a sign of its existence.

A few seconds passed before Mithos could stand again. Once he did, he walked slowly over to Karina and almost immediately fell into her arms, his eyes closed but not unconscious. Karina allowed a small First Aid spell as thanks for saving her.

"That... was amazing," Lloyd commented. "How did you _do_ it?"

"Simple," Mithos replied in between pants. "You just... have to focus... the mana... in the right... way..."

"It looks pretty difficult," Lloyd said. "Of course, I probably won't ever end up having to use an attack like that, so..."

Kratos glanced at Raine, and their word exchange could be seen only within their eyes; however, they quickly broke their gaze, and turned to the transporter.

"Shall we get going?" Kratos asked.

"Alright," Lloyd said. "Let's get going."

They headed through the transporter that would lead them to the seventh floor of Niflheim.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Author's Note: I so wish Angelic Chaos was a real attack. X.X


	14. The Third Battle

To Kill An Angel: A Fanfic by Gyppy

Timeline: Based 2 years after "Rising Shadow"

Summary: After Nebilim's shadow was sealed away once more, Lloyd thought that they could all finally enjoy peace. However, he could not have been more wrong...

Two old servants of Nebilim, half-elven females who had once worked for the treacherous Dark Lord, set out to stop Lloyd and his allies. Their first target: the Eternal Swordsman's father himself.

Pairings: LloydxColette and SheenaxZelos primarily, with hints at GenisxPresea, SelesxOC and minor KratosxRaine. There will also be some PronymaxYggdrasill and MithosxOC.

Author's Note: This is my sequel to _Rising Shadow_. It's gonna be quite a bit different from my usual fanfiction, though.

First of all, in case you're too lazy to go back and read _Rising Shadow_ or if you just forgot the details, Abyssion was the main character in my previous fanfic, and Nebilim (the form you fight in the game) is his arch-rival. Abyssion has a younger brother, Leviathan, who falls for Seles (hence the SelesxOC). This fanfic focuses more around Lloyd, however. Colloyd and Sheelos will be the primary pairings.

With the chapter "Mithos, Coldhearted No More", there has been a slight introduction of MithosxOC. This will most likely show up more prominently later on.

And now, for the warnings. As with most T-rated fanfics on this site, there will be swearing, violence and some references to sex.

Since I am nearing the end, the rating will only go up if I happen to input a particularly bloody battle. Therefore, the previous warning is now invalid.

Also, as a side note, those of you who have read _Difficult Journey_ (_Rising Shadow_'s Kraine sidestory) will know that Kratos and Raine are officially a pairing in this storyline. However, there will be very few references to the pairing in the actual storyline. There may be a few Kraine moments, but I understand that there are many people who would hurt or even kill me for making Kraine references in a supposedly canon fic. I personally enjoy the pairing, and if you hate it, so be it. Don't be reading a Kraine supporter's fanfiction if you dislike the pairing. Got it?

As a side note, text like _'this'_ is in a flashback/dream or a voice in someone's head. Got it?

Thank you very much for the review(s).

**There may be a significant quantity of blood in this chapter, so be on your guard.**

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia, Namco, Final Fantasy or Square-Enix.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Chapter 13: The Third Battle

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

"Katrina," Nebilim said, his cold gaze fixed on the girl before him. "Be sure to take them out. They approach the thirteenth floor. Between the thirteenth and fourteenth floors, you must come forth and stop them... for you are the Living Armor's replacement."

"Yes," Katrina said. "I will protect the fourteenth floor with my life." And with that, she called upon her flaming wings and soared down to the platform that hovered between the two floors.

Nebilim gazed down at the fading figure, an expression of peculiar warmth on his face.

"Yes, indeed... rescue Niflheim from its plight, and prevent the passage of those pure beings."

His dark wings flared behind him as he took to the air and soared up to the final platform.

"Do not disgrace your mother, Katrina... or your father."

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Lloyd quickly brought up a sword to block the monster's attack. The foe, an arch demon, used its wings to leap over Lloyd, and struck him in the back, breaking his guard. The swordsman turned around and unleashed a powerful slash, which knocked back the foe.

Mithos let out a cry as he loosed Rejection, which tore into the foes around him with its blades of light. A lone medusa managed to swipe him right in the back, however, and he was forced to fall back briefly.

Karina's Ice Tornado tore into the arch demon that was attacking Lloyd. The creature reeled from the attack, and quickly fell back. However, another, similar foe took its place, using its massive spear-like weapon to throw Karina into a wall.

Yggdrasill let loose Prism Sword, which struck and basically tore apart the foes attacking Mithos. The younger seraph shot a quick glance at his brother, then performed Holy Lance, taking out another arch demon.

Genis loosed Tidal Wave, which engulfed the remaining foes and knocked them back. He followed almost immediately with a powerful Thunder Arrow, then Earth Bite to finish off the opponent once and for all.

Abyssion reveled in his victory. He looked around cautiously, then held his sword up in the air and allowed its shimmering blade to gleam against the peculiar flame that burned atop the candles.

"If you do not fight, you have already lost the battle."

However, their victory was short-lived.

The figure they so hated fell down upon the platform, cloaked in her blazing wings of fire. They shimmered a brilliant golden orange as they spread behind her, shining in all their majestic glory.

"So you've come," Katrina said, glaring at Lloyd. "You know you can't win, so what's the point?"

"That's where you're wrong," Lloyd said. "I _can_ win... and I most definitely will."

"You can brag all you like," Katrina said. "You're not going to win this battle, and that's for _damn_ sure!"

Katrina drew her sword of fire and rushed at Mithos. However, he simply brushed her off with a circular blast of light, spinning rapidly in place.

Abyssion turned to Katrina, his eyes raging. His black wings erupted from his back as he charged at his foe.

"You can't do a thing to defeat me," Katrina said, loosing Double Demon Fang. "If you even so much as try and defeat me, you'll simply lose!"

Allurya's Bloody Lance caught Katrina off-guard. Though the attack was dark element, it still managed to make a pretty good dent in Katrina's defense, and Allurya saw that as an opening to attack. She rushed forward and performed Sonic Thrust, then somersaulted over Katrina's head and loosed Demon Fang.

Katrina turned to Raine and loosed Atlas. The healer was caught up in a whirling flurry of blades, but before the attack could weaken her too much, Kratos pushed her out of the way and took the brunt of the attack. Raine proceeded to perform Healing Circle in an attempt to restore both of them.

The fallen angel turned to Lloyd and loosed Spiral Flare, which sent him flying backwards, right into Colette, who ended up slamming into a wall. Seeing her chance, Katrina cast Thunder Arrow upon the two, all traces of their combat ability fading with the powerful blasts of static.

Katrina turned to Mithos and cast Gravity Well. Karina somehow managed to get caught up in the black hole as well, and the two were crushed by immense air pressure before being thrown out of the field and slamming into a wall.

Kratos performed Double Demon Fang in an attempt to throw off Katrina, but the demon merely smirked and sent an Aqua Laser his way. The seraph was slammed into a wall with immense force, and just seconds later Raine followed, being caught up in Air Blade.

"I thought I told you not to mess with me," Katrina said, turning to Allurya. "I hope you've learned your lesson from your foolish mistakes!"

Katrina cast Atlas, catching Allurya in the immense, whirling swords of wind and water that had formed. Borrowing a technique from her closest, the fallen angel followed up with Absolute, then Prism Sword. Both attacks struck true, knocking Allurya down and out.

"This is absurd," Abyssion said. "How could she take down so many of us without even flinching?"

"She has weaknesses too," Yggdrasill said. "You just need to learn to exploit them."

Yggdrasill's Holy Lance did practically nothing to Katrina; however, she was completely unprepared for the Prism Sword that followed. The seraph followed up with Death Eater, and finished the attack off by charging right up to Katrina and performing Outburst, which threw her far back.

Zelos and Sheena were still up. The guardian user turned to attack Katrina from the right, whereas the red-haired summoner attacked from the left. Wings of mana exploded from Zelos' back as he launched into a flurry of attacks, starting off with Lightning Blade, then Victory Light Spear, then Fierce Demon Fang, then Hurricane Thrust, then finally topping it all off with Super Lightning Blade. Sheena used her Mirage Seal Pinion to catch the foe off-guard, then performed Demon Seal, blowing Katrina back.

"I warned you against taking me on," Katrina said as she rose. "Now, you shall taste the true power of the hurricane!"

Katrina raised her sword into the air, and its blade glimmered with the shining light of Niflheim's soulfire candles.

"_I call upon the power of the shadow lord to bring to an end these pathetic creatures of light!_"

With a massive downward swing, she loosed her attack.

"**_Shadow of Oblivion!_**"

Suddenly, the light completely extinguished. Even the soulfire candles that burned in the depths of Niflheim were put out. What little light rose from the mist of the dungeon faded into the complete blackness.

Without warning, a blade of shadow came tearing across the battlefield. It drew the inverted symbol of the Derris Emblem, the very mark of Katrina. The sword continued its relentless assault, drawing the same symbol numerous times, and then finally the black haze lifted, showing the light of the candles once more.

The mana in the bodies of Katrina's foes had been drained an uncomfortable amount. Kratos was the only one spared from the horrible, relentless fate. He knelt before Lloyd, trying to assure him of safety.

An unexpected cry came about from the depths of Niflheim; Kratos looked up, but it was already too late. The newcomers had made their moves.

"**_Thunder Blade!_**"

A sword of lightning flashed down from the sky, impaling the floor with force untold. Electric currents flowed out from the sword, electrifying the ground with a thunderous _ZAP!_

"**_Dark Sphere!_**"

A cage of darkness surrounded Katrina, locking her in the deathgrip of shadow; moments later, it exploded, sending her flying into the wall with force untold.

Yggdrasill, who had recovered enough strength to move, looked up in surprise to see his two companions standing at the edge of the platform.

"We figured you'd need a little help," the blue-haired seraph said, glancing over at Kratos. "Thankfully, we managed to make it to the warp on time."

"I apologize for my insolence," the teal-haired half-elf female on the left said, her own gaze turning to Yggdrasill. "It seems I've made a mistake."

"Are you going to do anything about it?" Yggdrasill questioned, his glare turning furious on Pronyma. "You _did_ come here to help us, did you not?"

"Use your own head," Yuan said. "Remember there's still a member of your group who can attack. Let him handle the rest."

Yggdrasill glanced at Kratos. "All right. I'll leave it in your hands, Kratos."

The older seraph merely looked up, an indication of acknowledgment. Glaring at Katrina, he prepared his own attack.

"I've prepared a special attack in case something like this happened," Kratos said, gripping the Last Fencer.

Holding his sword above his head, the seraph called upon his wings of mana. Shining light surrounded him, engulfing his foe in tearing blades of pure light.

The sword was brought down, and the spell was loosed.

"**_SHINING BIND!_**"

Kratos rose into the air on the sheer energy of the attack as it flashed about, tearing Katrina apart. The roaring wind of light tore across the circle beneath Kratos, its brilliant flashes and otherworldly explosions lighting up the whole of Niflheim. As the attack spent itself into the ground, Katrina lay on the ground, panting heavily and bleeding profusely.

"You... you... bastard..." Katrina gasped, her breaths becoming more ragged as she continued to lose blood. "I... I can't _believe_... you'd try and... pull a dirty... stunt like... _that_..."

"You deserved it," Kratos stated, sheathing his sword and crossing his arms. "If you do not wish to keep on living in this cruel world, I can finish you off easily."

"No... that won't do..." Katrina whispered. "I... will not disgrace... my father..."

"Hmph." Kratos drew his sword again, holding it before Katrina's throat. "It's your praised _father's_ fault you're an illegitimate child." He drew the edge of the sword across soft flesh, cutting the skin easily. "If you attempt to move, you will die."

"I'm... not like... you..." Katrina said. "You... you were... born of the... very _essence_... of impurity..."

"Wrong answer." Kratos made his move, and in a flash, the major artery in Katrina's neck was severed. "You were a waste of good air anyhow." He calmly wiped off the blood on the part of Katrina's attire that wasn't already bloodstained and sheathed it, crossing his arms. "Bastard."

Lloyd managed to regain his senses long enough to stand up. "What... what do you mean, she's an illegitimate child?"

"In part, I wasn't referring to her," Kratos said, turning to face Lloyd. "I was referring to her father. He was born as an unfortunate accident between two people that eventually led to the creature that rules the Underworld. And yes, she is indeed an illegitimate child... she came about as the unlucky experiment of a certain Desian leader and the ruler of Niflheim."

Lloyd gasped. "So... so that means..."

"Her father was Nebilim," Kratos said darkly. "Her mother was Pronyma. Pronyma didn't want her, but Nebilim did... for his own cruel purposes. When Pronyma betrayed Nebilim, she took her hatred of her own daughter with her." His tone darkened even more. "If Katrina had turned back to the side of light... Pronyma probably would've adored her."

"That's terrible," Colette said as she stood up. "I wish we could've done something to save Katrina. Maybe then Pronyma would've forgiven her..."

"It's too late now." Kratos glanced disgustedly at the body that lay on the floor of the platform. "I think it's time we continue. With Katrina dead, we won't have any more nuisances on our hands." He shook his head, pointedly annoyed. "At least, I _hope_ not."

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Author's Note: Yeah, I needed a particularly bloody and cool chapter to make up for all the pointless and stupid violence I've been coming up with. Baddies need to die if they're trying to kill everyone.

I'm not sure if I should up this to an M rating or not. It's really dark, as you know, but I don't personally consider this kind of stuff above T.


	15. The Fourth Battle

To Kill An Angel: A Fanfic by Gyppy

Timeline: Based 2 years after "Rising Shadow"

Summary: After Nebilim's shadow was sealed away once more, Lloyd thought that they could all finally enjoy peace. However, he could not have been more wrong...

Two old servants of Nebilim, half-elven females who had once worked for the treacherous Dark Lord, set out to stop Lloyd and his allies. Their first target: the Eternal Swordsman's father himself.

Pairings: LloydxColette and SheenaxZelos primarily, with hints at GenisxPresea, SelesxOC and minor KratosxRaine. There will also be some PronymaxYggdrasill and MithosxOC.

Author's Note: This is my sequel to _Rising Shadow_. It's gonna be quite a bit different from my usual fanfiction, though.

First of all, in case you're too lazy to go back and read _Rising Shadow_ or if you just forgot the details, Abyssion was the main character in my previous fanfic, and Nebilim (the form you fight in the game) is his arch-rival. Abyssion has a younger brother, Leviathan, who falls for Seles (hence the SelesxOC). This fanfic focuses more around Lloyd, however. Colloyd and Sheelos will be the primary pairings.

With the chapter "Mithos, Coldhearted No More", there has been a slight introduction of MithosxOC. This will most likely show up more prominently later on.

And now, for the warnings. As with most T-rated fanfics on this site, there will be swearing, violence and some references to sex.

Since I am nearing the end, the rating will only go up if I happen to input a particularly bloody battle. Therefore, the previous warning is now invalid.

Also, as a side note, those of you who have read _Difficult Journey_ (_Rising Shadow_'s Kraine sidestory) will know that Kratos and Raine are officially a pairing in this storyline. However, there will be very few references to the pairing in the actual storyline. There may be a few Kraine moments, but I understand that there are many people who would hurt or even kill me for making Kraine references in a supposedly canon fic. I personally enjoy the pairing, and if you hate it, so be it. Don't be reading a Kraine supporter's fanfiction if you dislike the pairing. Got it?

As a side note, text like _'this'_ is in a flashback/dream or a voice in someone's head. Got it?

Thank you very much for the review(s).

**There is some blood in this chapter.**

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia, Namco, Final Fantasy or Squaresoft/Square-Enix.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Chapter 14: The Fourth Battle

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Nebilim gazed down upon the floor that lay so far below. He knew that the end was close, that he would soon be fighting those he hated so much. His black wings flared slightly at the thought of their approach, his teeth bared in an angry expression.

Katrina was dead. He would have no more chances to carry on. His life had been torn apart by these humans, and he would make them pay.

The miasma would return in full force once he was finished with them.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Lloyd slowly led the group to the transporter. Their last floor had been one of blood, and it had been a long and difficult fight to reach the end. They knew that they would soon be able to seal Niflheim, and Nebilim would be gone once and for all.

The aura of the transporter rose around them, and the bizarre shifting of the matter within that aura caused that strange feeling to run through Lloyd's body. He had felt it so many times that he was beginning to tire of it, hoping and praying that this was the last time he'd be forced to feel it.

The group appeared on the final level, and Nebilim was there, standing defiantly before the seal.

**abc**

"I see you've come," the demon lord said, his eyes not once shifting from those of Lloyd. "You'll make a prime target for my next experiment."

"This fight will be over soon enough," Lloyd said. "You don't have any weapons to use. We've uncovered the Afternoon Shadow and the Midnight Sun, and the Devil's Arms were destroyed when the Tower of Destruction collapsed."

"You have your head on backwards," Nebilim said, slipping into his old humorous state that he used to use for his closest. "I think it'd be best if you don't even think about trying to fight me." He smirked. "You stand no chance."

"We've beaten you once," Sheena said. "We'll beat you again if it kills us."

"It probably will end up killing you," Nebilim said. "Go ahead and try to fight me. I have my own little plans constructed."

Lloyd drew his swords and rushed at Nebilim, only to have his blade blocked by a sword of pure shadow.

"I told you not to get cocky," Nebilim said. "You're not going to win this fight, no matter how hard you try. And I'll make sure you don't."

"Say what you will," Kratos said. "I'm not letting you by with anything... _especially_ not with hurting Lloyd!"

On his magnificent wings of mana, Kratos leaped forward, flying clear over the heads of his companions. As sword met sword, the others realized that Nebilim was taking on both Lloyd and Kratos _alone_, without even flinching. And not once did his control slip.

Kratos loosed a thrust that went wild as Nebilim stepped aside. The demon retaliated with his own thrust, which was met by Kratos and successfully blocked. Lloyd took the opening to attack with his own slash, but that attack was also blocked by Nebilim's other sword.

Mithos, recognizing the situation, leaped forward in his own unique jump and swung his own sword. Nebilim, recognizing the dire situation he stood in, brought forth a demonic wing to block the attack, which worked profoundly and unexpectedly.

The young seraph swore aloud, then tried calling upon a spell. He cast a simple Fire Ball, which was enough to knock Nebilim away and allow Lloyd and Kratos to recover.

"You little brat," the demon lord muttered. "I'll make you pay for that with your life..."

Nebilim snarled as he turned to Mithos. A quick Hell Pyre followed by Fierce Demon Fang was enough to knock back the young seraph, but he quickly rose and retaliated with his own Double Demon Fang.

Genis saw the opening and motioned to Presea to attack. While the axwoman loosed her Resolute Infliction, Genis cast Spark Wave, which caught Nebilim off-guard. Both attacks struck true, sending the foe flying into the far wall of the arena.

"You certainly have guts," Nebilim said as he got up. "But you certainly don't have enough guts to handle _me_!"

Genis was suddenly caught up in Earth Bite, and Presea in Gravity Well. The two attacks combined to form a crushing unison of powerful shockwaves and stalagmites, all of which were more than enough to knock back the two combatants.

Nebilim turned to Raine and loosed Flame Lance. The attack would've struck true if it weren't for Lloyd's sudden, rather startling collision with the healer, and he ended up taking the brunt of the attack by himself.

Seeing that his plans had been foiled by the young one, Nebilim loosed Spread on Lloyd, then Thunder Arrow. The attacks struck true, leaving a mark that Lloyd would rather have erased.

Nebilim was open to attacks now. While Abyssion loosed Eruption, Allurya cast Ice Tornado, and Karina used Thunder Arrow. Nebilim endured the attacks with some bizarre type of strength, and retaliated by unleashing his own spells; Raging Mist on Abyssion, Spiral Flare on Allurya, and Absolute on Karina.

The demon lord then turned to Zelos and Sheena, who had not made their moves yet. With Demonic Chaos, both combatants were knocked down, and for a moment what seemed to be out. However, Zelos soon rose to his feet, and Sheena followed soon after.

Zelos called upon his golden-orange wings, and Sheena her midnight-blue wings. They both had a raging aura of pure anger flowing about them, and they knew exactly what to do.

"_I call upon the Disciple of Everlasting Ice! I summon thee... **Come, Celsius!**_"

The Summon Spirit of Ice appeared out of thin air as the bright, ice-blue summoning circle appeared beneath Zelos. With a battle cry, she sent powerful waves of ice in four different directions, almost like rows of powerful icicles soaring out of the ground in a cross. The attack struck Nebilim with blinding fury, burning through his heart and soul with a fire only seen in the chill of the north.

But the attack wasn't over yet. Fenrir emerged from the shadows as well, and its wolf-like cry preceded a massive shower of ice crystals, almost like Freeze Lancer. Once the intense attack had faded from its existence, the canine Summon Spirit vanished as well, its task completed.

"_I call upon the Maiden of the Mist! I summon thee... **Come, Undine!**_"

The Summon Spirit of Water appeared as a brilliant, ocean-blue summoning circle appeared beneath Sheena. Always the calm one, Undine simply allowed her restorative power to flow about the group whilst loosing a powerful series of Spread attacks upon Nebilim. With the battering he'd already undergone, the blasts of pressurized water were the _last_ thing he needed.

Once the Summon Spirit disappeared, Nebilim turned his gaze on the two summoners, his own fury starting to burn.

"I dare you to do that again!" the demon lord cried, launching forward in blind fury.

Yggdrasill saw his opening. He summoned forth Death Eater, then teleported in front of his foe and blocked it with twin shockwaves. Nebilim growled, his fury starting to increase even more.

Pronyma's opening was next. She quickly loosed Agarazium, sending Nebilim flying. Once he had managed to retrieve any semblance of strength he still had, she teleported close to him and unleashed Leonazium, which knocked him back again. After that, a simple Aqua Laser was enough to send the demon flying into the wall.

Nebilim righted himself again and cast Indignation right in the heart of the group. As soon as the magic circle beneath the spell had lit up with its fury, all those within the confines of the spell were thrown away, skidding to a halt on the ground.

"The tide is turning, I see," Kratos said. "But I'm afraid it won't be turning for too long."

He raised his sword and prepared to bring it down on Nebilim. However, he suddenly heard a sound which made him turn.

Lloyd was angry. Very angry. And when Lloyd was angry, usage of the common language was extremely rare.

"Lloyd, you're-" Kratos didn't have time to finish his sentence.

The twin swordsman rushed at Nebilim, wings and swords drawn. A menacing look appeared on his face as he stared down his foe.

"Kisama!"

Sheena flinched. She knew exactly what he had said, and it was definitely an unpleasantry. However, she didn't want to translate it for fear of making Kratos fear for Lloyd's sanity.

"You can call me whatever you like," Nebilim said. "But you're not going to get past me. You ready to fight?"

Lloyd shook his head. "I'm not ready to fight. I'm ready to slaughter."

"Strong words coming from a seraph," Nebilim said tauntingly. "But I doubt you'll be able to get past me."

That was the last straw. Lloyd brought up his two swords, the Flamberge and the Vorpal Sword. They glimmered briefly before they both suddenly vanished, replaced by the Eternal Sword, which Lloyd held in both hands.

Blades of pure light whirled around the Eternal Swordsman as a circle of magnificent light appeared beneath him. The Eternal Sword itself began to glow, shining with the light of Derris-Kharlan itself.

Lloyd whispered something akin to an incantation as his attack charged. Once he had finished charging, he leaped high into the air, the Eternal Sword shining with a magnificent light.

"**_TENSHOU-_**"

The Eternal Sword fell upon its target as Lloyd descended, igniting with a brilliant white-blue light.

"**_-SOUHAZAN!_**"

A massive circle of light flowed out from the sword's impact point, whirling in a blinding fury of flashing lights and miniature explosions. Nebilim was battered by the fury of the attack, and he eventually fell back, unable to move.

Lloyd jumped back, recalled his wings, and split the Eternal Sword into two once more.

Nebilim glanced up at Lloyd for one last time. He then brought down his blade and impaled the ground with it.

"**_Chaos Pulse!_**"

The sword glowed with a pure black aura, then sent the aura pulsing through the ground in a magnificent display of shadow. The bolts of darkness that coursed through the ground knocked back Lloyd and Kratos, and somewhat injured Mithos, who was standing close to them.

Once the dark aura had faded, Nebilim finally fell back, his strength having been drained by his last-ditch effort. But he was not ready to die yet.

"You're all just too arrogant for your own good," the demon lord said. "If you learn not to be so arrogant, you will learn to _truly_ fight."

In a flash of shadow, Allurya had disappeared and reappeared in front of Nebilim. She drew her weapon and impaled Nebilim on it, the tip of the blade reaching his heart. At long last, the demon lord collapsed, his life fading away with each passing millisecond.

Allurya turned to Abyssion. "Your family has been avenged."

"Thanks to you," Abyssion said. "Who would've thought an illegitimate, unwanted child would've ended up saving her bloodline?"

"I'm not unwanted," Allurya said. "I'm simply misunderstood."

Abyssion shrugged, and walked over to embrace Allurya. Kratos, who had recovered himself, looked at Lloyd with a warm smile on his face.

Karina turned to Mithos, both having recovered from the attacks unleashed upon them. Mithos floated slowly over to Karina and collapsed in her arms, his eyelids drooping. Karina closed her own eyes and attempted to reassure Mithos, who seemed rather happy with the physical contact.

Zelos and Sheena just so happened to be standing next to each other; they turned to each other and embraced, their eyes lighting up with joy and happiness. Their eyes found each other, and their lips met for one brief, touching moment-

"All right, who's going to seal it? Dammit, I'm getting _bored_!"

Sheena quickly broke away and glanced over at Pronyma, who was fuming at how everyone was being all mushy and redundant. The guardian user shook her head and quickly turned back to Zelos, kissing him again. Zelos' mind was alight with all sorts of different thoughts, most of which were how good he felt to have finally gotten the message across to her.

"Seriously, though, you guys need to stop goofing off." Lloyd seemed rather irritated as well. "If you baka know anything about what we're supposed to do, _please_ tell me, because I have no clue in the _slightest_ what the hell I'm supposed to do."

Sheena flinched at the name. Lloyd was _really_ angry when he started spouting insults in other languages.

Colette floated over to the seal and placed her hand on the stone before it. For a brief second, the seal shone with a magnificent light; then, it broke, revealing a candle, much like the soulfire candles they'd seen before.

"You need to light the candle," Colette said, turning back to the group. "If you've lit the candle, Niflheim will be sealed, and you will be sent back to the regular world."

"_Thank you_, Colette," Pronyma muttered, her tone laced with annoyance and impatience. "Now, for the love of whatever God you all believe in, _please_ do something about this damned book!"

Colette glanced at Pronyma and tilted her head, but then floated right back to Lloyd. Kratos stepped forward and placed a ball of fire on the candle, lighting it.

For a second, nothing happened. Then, suddenly-

**FLASH!**

The entire group reappeared in the ground of the Tower of Destruction. The Book of Niflheim was gone, forever sealed from the world. And the horizon in the distance bore a brilliant red glow, indicating Sylvarant's sunset was occurring.

Lloyd glanced at Colette, then at Kratos. The three walked calmly over to the edge of the forest and into the open plains, watching the sunset together. Raine followed them, and not too far behind her were Genis and Presea. Zelos and Sheena headed off to a different part of the plain to view the distant sunset, while Mithos, Yggdrasill, Pronyma and Karina turned to find their own place.

Abyssion was left with Allurya and Yuan. Figuring there was nothing to lose, he decided to sit down and enjoy Sylvarant's sunset with the two of them together.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Author's Note: Aww... how romantic. They all get together at the end and watch the sunset.

And in case you're wondering, 'Tenshou Souhazan' is the Japanese name for Lloyd's 'Falcon's Crest' special attack. 'Kisama' and 'baka' are both Japanese as well, and they respectively mean some sort of insult, and 'idiot'.

And no, it's not over yet. I still have one more chapter left to go. The last one's gonna be nice and fluffy, so be on the lookout!


	16. The End of the Shadow

To Kill An Angel: A Fanfic by Gyppy

Timeline: Based 2 years after "Rising Shadow"

Summary: After Nebilim's shadow was sealed away once more, Lloyd thought that they could all finally enjoy peace. However, he could not have been more wrong...

Two old servants of Nebilim, half-elven females who had once worked for the treacherous Dark Lord, set out to stop Lloyd and his allies. Their first target: the Eternal Swordsman's father himself.

Pairings: LloydxColette and SheenaxZelos primarily, with hints at GenisxPresea, SelesxOC and minor KratosxRaine. There will also be some PronymaxYggdrasill and MithosxOC.

Author's Note: Alright, this is going to be the last part of 'To Kill An Angel'. So far, it's outdone its predecessor in reviews, but it'll most likely not bear the magnificent legacy Rising Shadow has bestowed upon my fanfiction.

Seeing as this is going to be the conclusion to this epic story, it won't have much action in it. However, this most likely won't be the end of Rising Shadow's legacy. Expect to see more, not only in the 'Bearer of the Pact' series that I may just continue, but also in a possible sequel to TKAA.

As you know, the last chapter concluded in a sunset. This 'epilogue' will conclude the story with a brief, romantic piece.

If you dislike the pairing of Kratos and Raine, I advise you don't read this chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia, Namco, Final Fantasy or Squaresoft/Square-Enix.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Epilogue: The End of the Shadow

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

It was as if the very air that whirled about the land had changed. There was an eerie silence cast over the plains south of Hima as the crystalline spheres, glimmering far above the crater there, began to gather in their resting place in the center of the crater.

The ones who had sealed Niflheim, as well as destroyed the tower that once stood there, were gathered near that crater, having awoken from a long night of rest.

**abc**

"Mithos," Karina uttered, her mind taken over by the beauty of the sunrise. "Isn't it beautiful?"

"Yes, it is," the seraph said, his greenish-blue eyes gazing upon her form. "It's... very beautiful. Almost as beautiful as you."

Karina blushed. "You really think so?"

"Yeah," Mithos replied as he turned his head to gaze upon the sunrise. "But no sunrise could ever match a living, breathing person."

"Thank you, Mithos," Karina whispered breathlessly, leaning her head against his shoulder.

Mithos smiled, drawing his brilliantly feathered wings. He let one wing drift over her back, while the other simply waved behind him, casting a slight breeze upon the terrain.

"I hope you two are done now," Mithos heard from behind him. "You've been slacking off big-time ever since you woke up."

Mithos whirled around, and came face to face with Yggdrasill. "We're not saving the world now. I can do whatever I want."

"Hmph." Yggdrasill crossed his arms. "Doesn't mean you have to slack off."

"You're a real dictator, you know that?" Mithos said teasingly. "Of course, sometimes I positively _adore_ that aspect of you... because it lets me meet people like Karina."

Yggdrasill smirked. "You really like her so much that you blame the fact that you met her on my dictatorship?" Though he made no sound, his eyes gleamed with repressed mirth. "What a wonderful brother you are..."

"He's not a dictator," Pronyma said, floating up beside Yggdrasill. "He just doesn't want his dear little brother to be ashamed of himself."

Mithos smiled. "Thank you, both of you."

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Sheena glared at Zelos, obviously annoyed with his rather unnerving silence. "What happened? You're usually talking so much that it makes me want to tear out my eardrums."

"Ah, nothing much," Zelos replied, glancing over at Sheena. "I was just thinking... don't you think this sunrise is really beautiful? Not a cloud in the sky, there's the ocean out in the distance..."

"Oh, now I see what you're getting at," Sheena said, walking over to Zelos and sitting beside him. "It _is_ beautiful. Almost as beautiful as you."

Zelos grinned. He wasn't expecting that.

And that grin remained plastered on his face until he absentmindedly drifted his hand down to her rear, and she turned and smacked him so hard it made him see stars...

"You pervert."

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

"Come on, let's go!"

Lloyd grinned as he ran out ahead of Genis, who was chasing him around, yelling at him for some crude remark he'd made. Colette and Presea had decided to join in on the action, playing a sort of game of tag, despite the fact that Genis was positively vehement.

Meanwhile, Kratos and Raine were sitting some distance from the children, their minds adrift in thought.

"Can't catch me, can ya?" Lloyd called back, glancing over his shoulder at Genis.

"You idiot!" the young half-elf shouted back. "I can't _believe_ you'd try to think I was doing _that_ to Presea!"

"Probability of successful contact with Genis is fifteen percent," Presea said, glancing at Colette and grinning. "In other words, I don't think we'll be able to catch up with him."

"Doesn't mean we can't try," Colette said, her eyes gleaming with suppressed humor. "I mean, after all, he has Lloyd to worry himself about, right?"

Kratos glanced over at Raine, his face bearing a smirk. "Should we tell them to stop?"

"Nah," Raine replied, a grin crossing her own face. "They'll find out on their own."

Kratos nodded, and wrapped one of his arms around Raine's neck. The half-elf blushed, but returned the gesture all the same.

"It's really a beautiful sight," Raine commented, her eyes drifting out over the plain. "It's so beautiful, it just makes me want to close my eyes and dream of it all day..."

The older seraph felt a light pressure on his shoulder, and noticed that Raine had leaned over, placing her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes. He smiled, knowing that she was forever safe in his arms.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Abyssion looked out over the roaring ocean that lay beyond him, enjoying the sounds of the waves brushing past his ears. Allurya stood beside him, her eyes focused on the same distant spot on the horizon.

"It's beautiful," Allurya whispered. "It's like there's some invisible force out there, casting its breath upon the waters of the ocean."

"There is one out there," Abyssion said. "It's called the wind, and it's carried across the world by the three Sylph, the Heavenly Messengers."

"I wish I could meet them," Allurya said, her eyes suddenly lighting up. "I wish I could meet the Sylph. Then I could see the very source of the wind itself..."

Abyssion smiled. Even though she had been raised in Sybak, Allurya was still just as childish and playful as any little girl her age. He was proud of her, despite his own insecurities.

"The wind's getting cold out here," the dark seraph suddenly said. "I think we should go back to camp."

Allurya nodded, drawing her wings. She turned to the plains that lay behind them and soared off into the distance.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Yuan stood at the center of the massive crater that had once housed the Tower of Destruction. All the Cruxis Crystals that lay about him were glimmering and shining, not only with the light of the distant sun but also with the joyous light of free souls.

Suddenly, he heard a peculiar whisper of wind from behind him. He turned, and his blue eyes met the translucent form of Martel.

"I didn't know you were here," the seraph said. "I'm sorry for ignoring you."

"It's alright," Martel said, drifting ever closer to him. "I'll forgive you for everything... after all, you saved me from being trapped by the crystal." Though her eyes seemed transparent, they still glimmered with untold joy. "And now, with just a simple boost from the flow of mana, I could be yours again..."

"I don't think that would be preferable," Yuan said. "After all, don't you think you should rest in peace after all these years?"

Martel shook her head. "No, Yuan. I want to be with you. I want to experience your love again. I want to be me... I want to be free from the confines of those whose lives have been taken by Exspheres. I've waited four thousand years for this... I don't want to lose everything to the darkness again..."

Yuan nodded in understanding, stepping forward. Much to his surprise, Martel's arms wrapped around his neck, and he could feel not only the warmth of her touch but a strange physical presence, almost as if she had a physical body.

"I was lucky," Martel said. "I was able to break from the confines of my Cruxis Crystal and live on in this form." As she drifted away from him, her eyes welled up with sadness. "So many others... were not so lucky. Anna, Lloyd's mother... she is still locked up in her crystal, unable to make so much as a move. And Alicia... Presea's sister..." her voice wavered, almost as if she dared not speak of what happened. Then, she finally gathered courage, and finished what she was saying. "Alicia... was one of those who ended up truly dying. She was unable to escape from the tower..."

Yuan felt a tear of sympathy and sorrow well up in his eye, almost involuntarily. "...I see. Then I'll let you live on... just tell me when you want to do it."

Martel's face changed from one of sorrow to one of joy, and her eyes lit up with a genuine, sparkling light. "We can do it anytime you so please."

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Author's Note: Betcha weren't expecting _that_ twist, now were ya? Heheheh... well... this concludes TKAA, and what a fanfic it was.

I'm sorry if it all seemed too short to you. But heck, nothing's perfect, is it? Heheheh. Well, anyway, keep your eyes open. Just because this fic's done, doesn't mean the legacy's over... I may decide to continue this fanfic yet, and of course there's still BotP. Right?


End file.
